FAQ
QUESTION & ANSWER
What is the purpose of the Nursing Retention Fund (NRF)?
The purpose of this fund is to secure nursing jobs in Ontario public hospitals in circumstances where a service change may otherwise result in layoffs/reduction in hours. NRF provides funding to hospitals for salaries/wages plus a percentage in lieu of benefits, and education/training costs for nurses being bridged. This fund is not intended for traditional education/training costs associated with the normal capacity building of the organization.
What is a service change?
A service change is an intervention employed by a hospital to address a budget shortfall resulting in fiscal constraints. It may take the form of, for example, a reduction of a program or services, closure of a unit or a reduction in beds. The consequence of a service change may be nursing layoffs/reduction in hours.
Therefore, the NRF has been established for Ontario public hospitals with budget constraints, to:
• provide funding for enhanced retraining for nurses in hospitals;
• promote retention and improve access to full-time employment opportunities, and
• prevent reduction in nursing positions/hours.
• promote retention and improve access to full-time employment opportunities, and
• prevent reduction in nursing positions/hours.
What do you mean by a “nurse being bridged”?
The nurse being bridged is a nurse who elects and/or accepts an offer of enhanced retraining, the effect of which is either to avoid being laid off personally or to avoid the layoff of another nurse. This will also include nurses who accept internships, the effect of which is to maintain employment for another nurse who would otherwise be laid off.
Example Scenarios:
a) The junior nurse in a hospital receives a layoff notice. She/he cannot displace another nurse and she/he is not qualified for any vacant position. If she/he is offered and accepts enhanced retraining for a vacant position, she/he is the nurse being bridged.
b) Same situation as above, however, instead of the nurse training for a vacant position, another nurse accepts an internship which avoids the need to layoff the junior nurse. In this case, the nurse accepting the internship is the nurse being bridged.
c) Nurse A receives a layoff notice and exercises her/his right to displace Nurse B. Assume Nurse B has nobody she/he can displace and she/he is not qualified for any of the vacant positions. If Nurse B is offered and accepts enhanced retraining for a vacant position, she/he is the nurse being bridged.
d) Nurse A receives a layoff notice and exercises her/his right to displace Nurse B. Assume Nurse B has nobody she/he can displace and she/he is not qualified for any of the vacant positions. In this case, Nurse C accepts an internship and Nurse B is able to either keep her/his position or possibly backfill Nurse C's position. In this case, Nurse C is the nurse being bridged.
Must a layoff notice be issued to qualify for NRF funding?
Yes, a layoff notice must be issued. See Q&A #3 for examples scenarios.
What is an internship?
The Hospital may establish internships for the purpose of meeting future projected nursing shortages and/or providing career opportunities where there are no internal qualified candidates for job postings. Funding is available for a nurse being bridged who has accepted an internship, providing there is not already another source of funding.
What are other sources of funding?
The hospital must declare at the time of application any other sources of funding received or to be received for the same purpose as the NRF application. If another source of funding unanticipated at the time of application is received, the hospital must report it to the Management Committee and it will be resolved through the reconciliation process. The Management Committee has the right to recover from the hospital an amount equivalent to that received from the other sources.
Other funding can come from a variety of sources, including but not limited to:
• Nursing Education Initiative (NEI) - Whereas individual nurses cannot apply to the NRF for funding, the NEI fund is available to RNs and RPNs for any educational purposes; not necessarily related to layoffs. RNs, RPNs and employers can apply to the NEI through the RNAO’s website (www.rnao.org) and the RPNAO’s website (www.rpnao.org);
• Nursing Graduate Guarantee (NGG) – These supernumerary positions are above the staffing complement and are fully funded by the government for up to 6 months. If a nurse funded through the NGG that has not been hired to fill a permanent full-time position by the end of the 6 months, employers are required to provide funding for 6 weeks of additional time in the Nursing Graduate Guarantee position, above staffing complement. A nurse is not eligible for NRF funding during these additional 6 weeks.
• Internships – In the event that a new grad funded through the NGG is offered and accepts a full time position after 12 weeks rather than at the end of the 26 week funding period, the remaining funds can be re-invested by the hospital in other nursing priorities. Therefore, in some instances the origin of funding for some nursing education and retention initiatives may actually be residual from the NGG, which for the purpose of this application would be considered “other funding”. In scenario d) (see Q&A #3 above), there may not be a nurse eligible for NRF funding if there are funds remaining from the NGG to cover Nurse C’s internship.
• Critical Care Nurse Training Fund - If the hospital was granted this funding, it would be considered “another source of funding”, the amount of which would be deducted from the amount eligible through NRF.
• Emergency Department Pay for Results – This is money that may flow to hospitals based on actual improvements in ER waiting times. If these funds are used for education/training/salary continuance for the nurses for which the NRF application was submitted, this amount must be deducted from the amount eligible through NRF.
Who is eligible?
All public hospitals in the Province of Ontario as defined by the Public Hospitals Act (Ontario) that meet funding eligibility mandatory criteria. For the purpose of this application, the terms public hospital, hospital, applicant, and employer are interchangeable.
Are public hospitals in the Province of Ontario the only ones that qualify to apply for the NRF?
Yes.
Our nurses are unionized. At what point do we get the union involved?
From the outset, prior to requesting the signature of the president of the applicable bargaining unit, she/he must be a party to the discussion related to, and participate in the preparation of the application.
Our nurses are non-unionized. Who do we get involved and when?
The applicant's RNs will be represented by a RNAO workplace liaison, and the applicant's RPNs by a RPNAO representative. If either the applicant's RNs or RPNs are not represented by a nursing association, they will be represented by a frontline representative of the Nursing Council. In all cases, the representative must be a party to the discussion related to, and participate in the preparation of the application, from the outset.
What are the timelines for this funding?
This funding is available from January 1, 2006 to March 31, 2013. The deadline for all applications is February 15, 2013. Applicants will not be considered for funding after the February 15, 2013 deadline. Funds must be used within 12 months of being approved.
After completion of all education/training, or 12 months after the date of approval, whichever comes first, the application will be reconciled and the reconciled balance will be paid to the hospital. In the event that the reconciled balance is negative, the hospital will return all unused funds in accordance with the Funding Agreement.
After completion of all education/training, or 12 months after the date of approval, whichever comes first, the application will be reconciled and the reconciled balance will be paid to the hospital. In the event that the reconciled balance is negative, the hospital will return all unused funds in accordance with the Funding Agreement.
Is there a limit on the amount of funding we can apply for or expect to receive?
There is a designated amount of funding that has been allocated to the NRF. Limits and caps to amounts available to any one hospital will depend on the overall uptake of the fund by public hospitals.
Can we apply more than once?
Yes, but not for the same purpose, and at no time is funding guaranteed.
When might I expect to hear if my application for funding has been approved?
Within 6 weeks from the time that your initial completed application has been received if no additional information or clarification is required.
How will the funds be allocated?
Approved applicants will receive 75% of the funding for which they are eligible. The final 25% of the funding for which they are eligible will be disbursed after the application has been reconciled.
Where do I submit the application?
All applications are to be submitted to:
Nursing Retention Fund
c/o 158 Pearl Street
Toronto, ON
M5H 1L3 17.
c/o 158 Pearl Street
Toronto, ON
M5H 1L3 17.
Where can we get more information on this funding initiative?
For further information contact: NRF Project Coordinator coordinator@nursingretentionfund.ca