Saskatchewan reimbursing nurses for back-to-work training

Canadian-trained nurses in Saskatchewan taking training courses to re-enter the field are soon to be reimbursed by the province for their efforts.

Hannah Ogieglo paid out of pocket for a $20,000 course to get back up to date on her profession, which she is returning to after leaving in 2019 to raise her four children.

While the cost of that same program was already reimbursed for internationally educated nurses, Ogieglo said she is grateful for the recent change to help nurses who want to return to the field after an absence.

“I’m very pleased,” Ogieglo said, adding it makes a lot of sense to incentivize the course in this way.

“This is now a great opportunity for many nurses out there who are not in the position currently to consider re-entering.”

Ogieglo said she was recently contacted by Saskatchewan’s director of immigration and career training and has now formally applied to be reimbursed for her tuition costs. She said her understanding is that the reimbursement will now be available to all Canadian-trained nurses looking to re-enter the profession.

“I’m very appreciative and I’m also excited for the profession, because I think it makes sense to get all hands on deck,” Ogieglo said, calling it an “attractive opportunity.”

In an emailed statement, the Government of Saskatchewan told 650 CKOM that “funding is available to support the costs of training for nurses who are out-of-practice and looking to become re-licensed to work in Saskatchewan, regardless of where they took their training.”

The Nursing Credential Recognition Grant was established last year by the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training, and is available to nurses who started their re-entry training in fall of that year or later.

It is funded through the province’s $60-million Health Human Resources Action Plan, according to the government’s statement, and “meant to be inclusive of all nurses, including those that are Canadian-trained.”

The grant is intended to cover the cost of books, tuition and exam fees for nurses intending to re-enter the workforce.

While she hasn’t yet received the full reimbursement she is now entitled to, Ogieglo shared she won’t receive the full amount she paid for the course, as the province is only fully reimbursing people who took the course backdated to 2022. Ogieglo began the course in 2021.

Ogieglo said her hope is that more nurses wanting to re-enter the profession become aware of this opportunity to do so without the financial burden she faced.

The province said information about the grant was shared with regulatory bodies and training institutions at the time it was launched.

Nurses who are interested were encouraged to contact a career consultant and book an appointment to determine eligibility by calling 1-833-613-0485 or emailing careerservices@gov.sk.ca.