Emergency Department Nursing Education, Retention and Workforce Program

We support the delivery of high-quality emergency care by improving access to training for nurses working in emergency departments, and as a result, helping hospitals recruit and retain emergency department nurses.

Program Objectives

  • Support recruitment and retention for emergency department nurses
  • Improve access to training for emergency department nurses
  • Help hospitals meet their human resource needs in their emergency departments 
  • Support a sustainable emergency nursing workforce for the delivery of high-quality emergency department patient care

What We Do

The Emergency Department Nursing Education, Retention and Workforce Program provides access to education on core emergency department nursing competencies for:

  • nurses new to emergency department or early in their emergency department career
  • recertification of existing emergency department nurses 

Emergency department nurses provide highly specialized patient care in a complex environment. Specialized education, training, mentorship and experience help nurses build the skills and expertise needed to provide this care. 

Our Four Priority Initiatives

  • Virtual Training Modules: Virtual classes taught by emergency nurse educators to train new emergency nurses in small, rural and remote hospitals. 
  • Immersion Program: Hands-on, in-person emergency department training to educate new emergency department nurses in small, rural and remote hospitals..
  • Specialty Training Fund: Training education grants to support emergency department nurses to complete training courses for core emergency department nursing skills.
  • Establishment of Regional Emergency Departments Nurse Educators Initiative: A provincial program, in development, that will increase access within the regions to resources for continuing education and training for emergency department nurses.

The Emergency Department Nursing, Education, Retention and Workforce Program was established in 2023 in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

Contact Us

For more information about our work, please send us an email.

Please do not send us personal health information – including health care number, diagnosis, treatment plans or any other personal information or attachments.

Last Updated: November 3, 2023