The Ontario Government Is Giving Nurses Up To $5K & Here's Who Is Eligible

If you're a nurse in Ontario, your scrub pockets may be getting a bit deeper soon with up to $5,000 coming your way.

The Ontario government is serving nurses up a pretty penny with a "lump sum retention incentive" from a "historic investment" of $763 million, according to a press release posted on March 7.

The Ontario government says the payment "will help to retain nurses across the health sector and stabilize the current nursing workforce during this critical time to ensure patients continue to access the health care they need and deserve."

The "temporary retention payment" will be paid out in a lump sum of up to $5,000 for eligible full-time nurses. In addition, eligible part-time and casual nurses will receive a "prorated" version of the payment. The payments will come in two installments.

Nurses eligible for the payment include those working in long-term care homes, hospitals, retirement homes, community care, primary care, mental health and addictions, emergency, corrections, youth justice and some other settings.

However, to cash in on the first deposit, you'll need to be employed as of March 31, and for the second payment, you'll still need to be employed on September 1.

Christine Elliott, deputy premier and minister of health, says the fund "will support the nurses we currently have so that Ontarians continue to have access to the care they need during the COVID-19 pandemic and into the future," as they continue to build up the nursing workforce.

"Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic nurses have stayed on the front lines with remarkable dedication and selflessness as they care for our sick and most vulnerable Ontarians, and we know that a strong nursing workforce is crucial to supporting the province's recovery in the months and years ahead," said Elliott.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.