© 2025 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace
Buffalo, NY 14202

Toronto Address:
130 Queens Quay E.
Suite 903
Toronto, ON M5A 0P6


Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
BTPM NPR Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
red and white text reading OPPOSE RESCISSION PACKAGE CONTACT SENATE NOW 202-224-3121 against a blue background

Ontario turns to internationally educated nurses to help fill hospital shortages

Ontario Premier Doug Ford (right) tours a hospital in Toronto last week.
Christine Elliott
/
Twitter
Ontario Premier Doug Ford (right) tours a hospital in Toronto last week.

Ontario is easing some of its rules in order to fill shortages in the healthcare system due to COVID-19. The province will turn to internationally educated nurses to help fill positions in hospitals.

The shortages in the healthcare system are widespread: nurses, doctors, paramedics burnt out or sick because of the long and exhausting fight against the pandemic. One hospital northwest of Toronto said Monday it would close its urgent care center until the beginning of February because of staffing pressures.

Ontario’s health minister has announced one way to tackle some of the shortages. Christine Elliott said Ontario will use internationally educated and trained nurses in hospitals and long-term care homes where the shortages are acute.

“These nurses, who have applied for registration with the CNO to practice in Ontario, will have the opportunity to meet their application requirements by working in healthcare settings under the supervision of a regulated healthcare provider,” Elliott said.

She said more than 1,200 people have applied and they will be matched with hospitals and long-term care homes this week.

The highly transmissible Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been blamed for driving the staff shortages across essential areas, including hospitals.

About 8,000-10,000 scheduled procedures a week have been put on hold for at least three weeks to free up hospital resources in Ontario. Health officials reported that the number of people in hospitals in Ontario with COVID-19 jumped from just under 2,500 Monday to more than 3,200 Tuesday.

BTPM's comprehensive news coverage extends into Southern Ontario, and Dan Karpenchuk is the station’s voice from the north. The award-winning reporter covers binational issues, including economic trends, the environment, tourism, and transportation.

Karpenchuk’s long career in public broadcasting began in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He currently works in the Toronto region.

He provides listeners with insights on Great Lakes issues, the arts, health trends and other topics that are important to our audience. His reports help listeners to better understand how residents on both sides of the border are impacted by issues and events.