Let’s go nurses!
As part of National Nursing week, which runs May 9th – 15th, the RBC Foundation has donated $20,000 to provide the nurses at Milton District Hospital and Georgetown Hospital with much-needed mental health support and technical training.
“We are so grateful to the RBC Foundation for providing this grant to support nursing education. Nurses are central to the care that our patients receive; their critical role in this pandemic has highlighted this fact,” says Janet Skupsky, Chief Operating Officer, Milton District Hospital. “This funding will enable 6-10 of our nurses to increase and enhance their skillset through training, courses, conferences and continuing education such as Masters in Nursing.”
The hospitals will also be giving all of their nurses a goodie-filled, insulated lunch bag labelled with the Nursing Week ‘We Answer the Call‘ slogan to recognize their efforts and celebrate Nursing Week.
According to data released by Ontario Health’s COVID frontline wellness program, nurses are seeking mental health help more than any other frontline healthcare worker. Recent data released by Mental Health Research Canada also shows that healthcare workers, and nurses in particular, have been profoundly impacted by the pandemic.
“The pandemic has proven not only how important nurses are to our community, but also how important it is for us to continue to take care of these local heroes,” says Melanie Renon, regional vice-president, central shores, RBC. “Our goal with these donations is to help ensure our nurses – who always answer the call – not only feel appreciated, but also have the resources and supports they need to continue the great work they do for all of us.”
The donation to support the Milton and Georgetown nurses is part of the RBC Foundation’s overall donation of $120,000 to 13 local hospital foundations this year to support nurses in Halton, Grey, Bruce, Huron-Perth, Oxford and Dufferin Counties.
Over the past 13 years the RBC Foundation has donated more than $1.2 million to local south western Ontario nurses to access education & training.
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 wellbeing of Canadians.
