Nursing at PRHC
At PRHC we are very proud of our skilled and compassionate nursing team who continually provide high quality, culturally safe, patient care.
By joining our team in Peterborough, you’ll be as close to the great outdoors as you are to work, schools and other amenities. Cottage country is as close as 20 minutes away. An hour south of Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park and just a few hours from Algonquin Provincial Park. Here, we boast all the conveniences and comforts that an exceptional quality of life demands. Here, you can have it all.
Just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto by car, Peterborough is a unique community unto itself, an established entity with a rich heritage, a thriving culture, and a bright future. Peterborough offers a unique blend of outdoor pursuits and urban amenities right at your doorstep. Our arts and culture community is renowned for its exceptional events, exhibitions and performances, and the city offers a wide array of multicultural cuisine, local cafés, and unique shops.
Equipment
PRHC Foundation donors have funded millions of dollars in equipment and technology forming a foundation of world-class care. From cardiac, stroke and vascular care, to cancer, mental health and minimally invasive intervention, PRHC Foundation is determined to break boundaries and redefine what it means to be a “community hospital” in Canada by bringing world-class programs, procedures and patient care to PRHC.
Clinical Information System
Recently, one of the most important quality and safety initiatives in PRHC’s history happened as we launched the Epic digital clinical information system with our six (6) partner hospitals across the central east region of Ontario. This new, regional clinical information system, provides every hospital patient and their care team with real-time access to the patient’s health information in one place, supporting clinicians in making the best possible decisions about every individual’s treatment and care. The creation of a single, integrated digital health record for every patient across seven partner hospital organizations has had a positive impact on nearly every aspect of the care and support we provide at PRHC, transforming the way clinical care is delivered.
Patients and families are now able to experience some of the new features available with Epic, including MyChart, an online portal where patients can access their own personal health information.
The Nursing Graduate Guarantee is an initiative of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care aimed at ensuring that every new nursing graduate (RN and RPN) who wishes to work full time in Ontario will have that opportunity. PRHC actively recruits new nursing graduates in all our programs and our specialty units such as Critical Care, Neonatal Intensive Care, Labour and Delivery and Emergency. Our new graduates have expressed great satisfaction with their experiences in the New Graduate initiative at PRHC. We have a 98% proven success rate of retaining our new graduates.
New graduates interested in the Nursing Graduate Guarantee must register on the Ministry of Health online employment portal.
PRHC recently opened a newly-built, 4,300-square-foot Learning Centre, offering state-of-the-art meeting areas and a dedicated clinical training area providing permanent and mobile equipment and resources. This is a space where our hospital’s most valuable asset – its doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff – have access to the space and amenities they need to further develop their skills, and reach their full potential.
PRHC nurses are highly respected and sought after as teachers and mentors. We have a strong academic connection with Trent University and Fleming College.
Nursing staff are given extensive orientation at PRHC with the length of orientation varying according to the unit and the individual nurse’s needs and competency. Nurses are supported by a clinical team manager, clinical educators and advanced practice nurses to develop and apply their skills.
With three (3) Regional Centres of Excellence serving a population of 600,000 people, PRHC has many specialty areas that offer unlimited career choices within nursing. We provide an enhanced orientation and mentorship program, retention and recruitment initiatives, and career mobility. We offer diverse roles for RNs and RPNs.
Unit coordinators- Clinical nurse specialists
- Advance practice nurses
- Nurse practitioners
- Clinical nurse educators
- Professional practice leader
- Clinical team managers
- Program directors
- Clinical support
- Clinical informatics
- Risk manager
At PRHC, both registered nurses (RNs) and registered practical nurses (RPNs) are valued members of the healthcare team. We support our RPNs to practice at full scope by utilizing the College of Nurses of Ontario’s three-factor framework (nurse, patient and environment) to guide our practice and decision making. Using the RN/RPN’s mix of valuable skillsets allows the appropriate category of nurse to care for patients based on stability, predictability and complexity of care needs.
PRHC is committed to strengthening our culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion and providing an accessible environment that respects the dignity and independence of everyone.
PRHC has implemented many creative and forward-thinking initiatives and partnerships to support both our patients and their loved ones, and our staff, including:
- In 2022, PRHC established an organizational Health Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee
- Since 2017, PRHC has an established organizational Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety Plan.
- PRHC has established strong relationships with local First Nations communities (Curve Lake, Hiawatha) with regular meetings with community and hospital leaders
- Clinical Cultural Safety training has been a component of new clinical hire orientation since 2016
- The Cancer Care program at PRHC has formalized a relationship with the Central East Indigenous Nurse Navigator for Cancer Care. Her role involves working directly with Indigenous communities to improve system access to cancer care for these populations across the region.
- PRHC is an active member of the Peterborough Immigration Partnership.
- PRHC is an active participant in the annual Peterborough Pride Parade
If you choose employment at PRHC we encourage you to take an active role in Health Equity work, whether that means sitting on a committee or working group or simply ensuring you are providing culturally safe care every day through continuing to educate yourselves, staying open to learning, and providing true patient-centred care.