Holidays | People who have roots in province often want to return

A5

By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

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It's a busy period for the people recruiting employees for health services in central New Brunswick.

Enlarge Photo

STEPHEN MACGILLIVRAY PHOTO

on the job: Sandra Pond, nurse manager for 4ne at the dr. everett Chalmers regional hospital, right, talks with nadine Facini, a licensed practical nursing student, at a health-care job fair at the hospital earlier this week.

They're spending the holidays making contact with students and staff in the health-care profession who are home for the holidays and may just want a job here soon.

Recruiters were at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital this week to meet with students and professionals in nursing and other health fields.

The event is one of several that River Valley Health holds for students and professionals who are home for the holidays.

A meet and greet for medical students and doctors doing their residency was held this week at the Chalmers hospital. A second event for students and professionals in nursing and other health fields will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday at the Upper River Valley Hospital in Waterville.

Melanie Richardson, a regional recruitment officer for Regional Health Authority B's Upper River Valley and Fredericton zones, said the holidays are an ideal time to meet students or professionals who have time off and may be home from work or studies outside the region.

"We're hoping to strike up a conversation and spark some interest in employment opportunities here."

Doing so over the holidays gives the health authority the opportunity to connect with individuals they may not otherwise come across.

"Our greatest success in terms of recruitment and retention comes from connecting with people who have roots in the community," Richardson said.

"There's no doubt about it ... we face fierce competition from other provinces, the U.S. and beyond."

Nadine Facini, who is studying licensed practical nursing at the New Brunswick Community College campus on Smythe Street, was among those who attended this week's session.

"It opens our eyes to see what is available, what kind of summer job opportunities there are and what kind of job opportunities there are once we graduate.''

There's definitely a lure from other jurisdictions that are offering sign-up bonuses for health-care professionals, Facini said.

But she said she was happy to meet people who could tell her what opportunities are here.

"Home is where I want to be," she said.