Shaunavon nurses are hitting the books after receiving a grant from the RBC Foundation to support upskilling. 

While the Shaunavon Hospital and Care Centre is looking into several courses to heighten the development of its staff, the recent gift of $5,000 will be put towards one course set to take place in the fall.  

Registered nurse Corinne Duff has been with the facility for ten years and recalled the first time she saw the RBC Foundation impacting them by painting three wings of long-term care.

“Historically they offer our building something frequently,” she said. “They've always been a strong force behind keeping the building and the community healthy.” 

Nurses collectively decided to use the funds to bring an Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course to the area in September as they treat many pediatric patients in Shaunavon and surrounding communities.  

The health services manager for the hospital, Jessica Smith, believes the course will especially benefit emergency room nurses. 

“We treat many pediatric patients in Shaunavon and surrounding communities,” Smith wrote in the media release. “This type of support is so important for our rural nurses to be able to expand their skills and knowledge to better serve our community and surrounding areas.” 

RBC had reached out to Shaunavon Hospital and Care Centre about the grant, which is part of the foundation’s overall $6 million commitment this year for reskilling, upskilling and improving the resiliency of nurses and healthcare workers at hospitals across the country.

"We've looked at what needs are in the community, for example, pediatric care," added Duff. "We're looking at a course for the acute care nurses for emergency to make our care better for children. For long term care we're looking at dementia studies or foot care. We're just looking for options for education that we can pass on and that will benefit the community."