January 12, 2012 | Alberta

According to a report by the Medicine Hat News, Alberta does not have enough nurses to meet the needs of its citizens. Ken Sauer, chair of the Palliser Triangle Health Advisory Council, comments on the expensive nature of healthcare, and how medical facilities can turn to other healthcare professionals to provide the same level of quality care at a lower cost.

With a shortage of nursing professionals, Sauer and other healthcare officials are looking for alternative solutions such as luring nurses out of early retirement or encouraging a return to the field after raising their children. Officials are also taking a closer look at the costs of tuition and healthcare schools to enable professionals to update their training to help support the care provided by physicians and family doctors.

Rita Kenny, a long-time Licensed Practical Nurse who spent much of her early career caring for patients at Montreal Children's Hospital, returned to the profession after raising her child. She spent 15 years as a nurse at a long-term care facility in Prince Edward Island, according to a report by The Charlottetown Guardian. Even after retirement, Kenny spent hundreds of hours volunteering at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, providing treatment and care to those who needed it.

With such high demand for nurses in Canada, young practical nursing graduates can potentially find themselves with plentiful job opportunities. Enrolling in the Practical Nursing program at CDI College can be the beginning to a successful healthcare career. Fill out the form on the right to get started.