NEWS RELEASE
SAULT AREA HOSPITAL
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The RBC Foundation today announced a $10,000 gift to the Sault Area Hospital Foundation as part of a national campaign to support upskilling and resiliency training for nurses.
The campaign, rolling out during National Nursing Week (May 12-18), includes support for several hospitals in Northern Ontario.
“It is so important for nurses to keep their skills up to date and in line with current Best Practices,” said Sarah Suurna, manager of clinical professional practice and education for Sault Area Hospital.
“This collaboration with the RBC Foundation allows us to expand the scope and reach of our training and certification programs, providing crucial resources that directly benefit both our organization and the patients we serve.”
The gift will be focused on increasing capacity in the hospital’s Clinical Professional Practice and Education (CPPE) department.
“Training like Basic Life Saving (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) need to be refreshed regularly,” said Suurna.
“Thanks to this support, we will now have a certified instructor trainer and we’re training more instructors to deliver these courses so that every nurse at Sault Area Hospital can have access to these certification and recertification opportunities.”
The donation is part of the RBC Foundation’s overall $7 million commitment this year for reskilling, upskilling and improving the resiliency of nurses and healthcare providers at over 50 Canadian hospitals. The commitment includes a new $5 million donation to Windmill Microlending, which will help 850 internationally trained physicians afford the cost of recertification. These physicians will now be able to restart their careers in Canada, improving healthcare access for Canadians.
"At the heart of healthcare are dedicated nurses whose skills and compassion save lives every day," said Kim Ulmer, RBC Regional President.
"Investing in their development and upskilling isn't only a well-deserved commitment to nurses - it's a commitment to a stronger, healthier Canada."
According to Statistics Canada, Canada’s healthcare workforce is struggling to keep up with demand, resulting in decreased access to primary care for patients. A recent survey by Unity Health Toronto revealed that 6.5 million Canadians do not have a regular healthcare provider (physician or nurse practitioner). In 2024, CIHI reported 5 million Canadians struggled to access primary care.
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 well-being of Canadians. Nurses are Canada’s largest group of healthcare professionals, with 400,000 members.
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