The Royal Bank of Canada's (RBC) donation of $10,000 will support the Vi Reaman Acute Care Education Fund, which is designed to advance nurse training at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital.
The fund is used for training in all acute care areas of the hospital including ER, ICU, Women’s Health Unit, Mental Health & Addictions, Pediatrics and Diagnostic Imaging.
“With the help of the RBC Foundation our frontline nurses will now have access to additional training so they are better prepared to help patients on their road to recovery,” said Ryan Hrechka, volunteer chair, Moose Jaw Health Foundation.
“A person's life can dramatically change at any moment - heart attack, emergency surgery, vehicle accident, stroke or a bad fall. When life-threatening challenges occur, the caring medical professionals at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital will be there to help.”
Held in honour of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, National Nursing Week is designed to increase the awareness of the many contributions nursing makes to the well-being of Canadians. National Nursing Week runs from May 8-14.
“RBC recognizes the impact that nurses have in our healthcare system is unparalleled. Dedicated, committed, and always answering the call no matter the sacrifice, they are our caregivers and comforters during our deepest times of need,” said Kim Ulmer, RBC Regional President, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nunavut and Western Ontario.
“We aim to give back to nurses through a donation supporting their continuing education and professional development, to refresh their skills and open more opportunities for their career options and advancement.”
The show of support comes at a critical time. Recent Statistics Canada data shows Canadian front-line healthcare workers are feeling strained and overloaded.
In July, Statistics Canada reported 23,620 vacant nursing positions in the first quarter of 2022 (up 219% from 2019), and an all-time high of 136,800 job vacancies within the health sector throughout the first quarter of 2022. Recent data released by Mental Health Research Canada also shows that healthcare workers, and nurses in particular, were profoundly impacted by the pandemic.
RBC has made other donations to the hospital, but this is the first time it has donated to the educational fund.
