Community, Social & Economic Development
Recruitment and Retention of Inuit Nurses in Nunavut, 2010
Know: Aarluk has a long track record of support for Inuit employment and training. In this project we provided research, consultation, planning and writing services to develop a strategy to increase the recruitment and retention of Inuit nurses in Nunavut.
Collaborate: Overseeing this project were Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI), the organization that oversees all Inuit obligations in the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, and the Aboriginal Health Human Resources Initiative Committee. The Committee was comprised of representatives of NTI, the Government of Nunavut Department of Health and Social Services, Health Canada’s Northern Region, and Nunavut Arctic College.
Connect: Nunavut, like many jurisdictions around the world, is facing a shortage of health care staff. Our goal was to investigate why more Inuit were not working in the area of nursing, and to identify how the barriers and challenges limiting Inuit participation in nursing could be more effectively addressed.
Act: We carried out an extensive literature review and interviewed over 40 key informants across Nunavut and Inuit Nunaat. Focus groups were held in five communities to ensure community perspectives were included in the research.
Succeed: The project yielded a better understanding of why Inuit were not entering or remaining in the nursing profession. The final report provided a detailed list of recommendations to reverse this trend, and to ensure the nursing workforce in Nunavut would be more stable and representative in the future.