Bluewater Health HR plan responding to workforce pressures

In the wake of pandemic-related burnout in the health-care field, and amid a widespread nursing and health system staffing shortage, Bluewater Health has launched a new human resources strategy.

“It came out of a lot of the feedback that we’ve heard” amid the pandemic, said hospital group CEO and president Paula Reaume-Zimmer.

AT video to employees in late 2022, outlining the plan — improving recruitment practices, creating a longer, more manageable orientation plan for new employees instead of bombarding them with information when they’re hired, and creating a formal mentoring system for new employees since 60 per cent of Bluewater Health employees have 10 or fewer years experience — includes the message from chief nursing executive Shannon Landry that “we at Bluewater Health are experiencing urgent health human resources and staffing concerns.

“There are days when we can’t fill your schedules and when some units are working short,” she continues, noting the health-care worker shortage is a provincial and global concern.

“This puts a huge strain on those of you working, and more overtime required.”

Building Blue is the name of the new plan, touted at Bluewater Health’s recent annual general meeting, and developed in part out of a working group formed in late 2021 to identify issues and find solutions.

“It was really recognizing the team has taken considerable pressure, has really carried a lot of pressure,” Reaume-Zimmer said.

Part of the plan is recognizing the important work the hospital group’s nearly 2,500 staff, professional staff and volunteers do, she said.

“All of this is meant to be broad and far-reaching so all of the staff recognize we’re looking for opportunities to support them,” she said.

Currently Bluewater Health has 27 nursing and allied health professional positions, such as lab technician, that it hasn’t been able to fill, a spokesperson said, noting those positions are mostly part-time and casual.

“We need full schedules, minimal overtime, and enough people on shift to provide excellent care in a timely manner,” Landry said, in the video, about the Building Blue vision.

Partnering with Lambton College through its new four-year registered nursing degree program and offering fourth-year student jobs while they’re still in school, participating in a provincial program to certify internationally trained nurses to work in Ontario, and providing leadership and professional practice opportunities are some examples of Building Blue in action, Reaume-Zimmer said.

Bluewater Health also is participating in the provincial extern program, wherein people working toward professional designations can also work in other disciplines, like a registered nursing student working in a personal support worker role and supporting other staff, Reaume-Zimmer said.

The program has been “very well received,” giving more support to health-care workers and broadening the horizons of students, she said.

Bluewater Health currently has 23 externs spread across nine units, a spokesperson said, noting there’s up to $1.4 million in provincial funding for the program the provincial 2023-24 fiscal year, but the money is received after each pay period and so the total received depends on the number of externals and their hours worked.

The number of externs who are hired on afterward also is being tracked, the spokesperson said.

Many people hired by Bluewater Health come with a positive impression of the hospital group based on personal experience, or information from someone they know, Reaume-Zimmer said.

“I think if we can just maintain that, then we hope that some of the human resource issues we’ll be able to manage, so it doesn’t compromise any of our work,” she said.