The government of British Columbia offers a series of rewards programs in an attempt to hire new nurses in the province - with the highest incentives allocated for those willing to work in the north.

Nurses can receive $30,000 in exchange for agreeing to work for at least two years in the northern parts of the province, or $20,000 for serving other rural and remote areas.

Even in major urban centers, nurses applying for hard-to-fill vacancies or those urgently needed can receive bonuses of up to $15,000.

The government also offers $15,000 to nurses willing to commit for two years to the GoHealth BC program, the province’s travel nurse program.

Health Minister Adrian Dix unveiled the incentives at a press conference on Friday, while also highlighting some of the other efforts the government is making to address the nursing shortage in the province.

Dix said: “We must have more pathways for internationally educated nurses.”

Nurses can earn up to $80,000 annually if they agree to stay in one of the 63 communities eligible for the program.

Additionally, the government is preparing to implement minimum nurse-to-patient ratios across a variety of healthcare facilities.

These include one nurse per four patients in adult medical and surgical units, a one-to-three ratio in palliative care, and a one-to-one ratio in intensive care. British Columbia will be the first province in Canada to do this.

There are also new incentives for those training to join the nursing ranks in British Columbia, including $2,000 in annual tuition credits for those pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing, and practical nursing, and Indigenous students in the BSN program will be able to receive an additional $5,000 in tuition fees on top of that.

The recruitment, retention, and training process will cost the province $237.6 million.