Mind the gap: Attracting and supporting new healthcare workers for a system in transition

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“Once people work in healthcare, I think they recognize how rewarding the work is, how impactful. At the same time, you also recognize how challenging it can be,” says Fiona Peacefull, executive vice president of human resources at Niagara Health, a regional hospital system in Ontario with multiple sites and a growing network of community-based and virtual services.

“You come to healthcare to really make a difference for your patients and often with the volumes, you can’t do as much as you want.”

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We’ve all heard about the burnout of healthcare workers during the pandemic and in its aftermath. Now, there’s even more pressure to come on the already stretched system with the growing and aging population. Consider, too, that aging brings more complex care needs.

How to attract and retain talent is a focus for hospitals

What continues to be critically important for Peacefull and other HR professionals at hospitals across the country is to attract and retain great talent—at a time when healthcare providers are leaving their professions for retirement or choosing a different career path.

When asked about the best career to pursue that will land you a job, Peacefull is quick to say healthcare. With shortages of professionals comes opportunity for newcomers, and knowing what to expect with hospital training placements and residencies helps new workers acclimatize to the expectations and environment. This is important as recent graduate nurses, for example, often call themselves “storm chasers” because they’re expected to respond quickly and efficiently in emergency or difficult care situations. 

Nursing the Future, an organization based in British Columbia, has developed a training program for senior graduates with one or two years of practice experience to advance their knowledge, conflict resolution and crisis management skills. These nurses are then available to consult in placements where new graduates are struggling with their initial role transition.

Significant care gaps in many roles as well as nurses and doctors

According to Peacefull, there are significant gaps in some areas which are felt province-wide, including medical laboratory technicians who are critical for diagnostics and assessing health. Another in-demand role is medical radiation technologists for diagnostic imaging with CT and MRI scans. These positions typically require specialized training and experience, which may limit opportunities for recent graduates.

“We often see some persistent shortages in our occupational therapists and physiotherapists as well. Often people think of a hospital as having the traditional roles of a nurse or physician.
But this multidisciplinary team concept has really evolved in healthcare,” she adds. “There’s also absolutely amazing personal support workers and social workers that all work collaboratively as a team.”

On the physician end, she points to shortages of emergency doctors and anaesthetists that reflect the national issue of significant care gaps.

The key to draw and retain professionals, she says, is to work with the community, academic partners and provincial partners to be creative about building students’ interest in healthcare and offering career development opportunities to existing staff.

A big win in this area for Niagara Health is its transformation into a community hospital-based research centre with the new Niagara Health Knowledge Insititute in 2023. The move adds research opportunities, multi-centre clinical trials for patient access to innovative therapies and boosted community representation in trials. Another goal through the institute is to prepare healthcare services for the graying population.

“It’s looking at our clinical practices, so what can you do to create a better patient outcome and better patient experience. By having the institute do that work, it helps us be better clinicians,” Peacefull says, noting that many of the Niagara Health physicians are actively involved in research, and link to and teach at medical schools in the province.

Another advantage to Niagara Health in attracting employees is promoting the Niagara region for its preferred lifestyle and affordability, compared to the Greater Toronto Area. As well, there’s a focus on giving students a positive experience during a placement to appreciate the workplace culture and commitment to wellness. Like programs in B.C., Ontario funds clinical coaching for new nurses, taught by experienced registered nurses, to set them up for success.

Mentorship, support and career opportunities build job satisfaction

“I’ve been in the workforce for 32 years and there’s something really lovely when you can help a person, perhaps at the early stages of their career,” Peacefull says.

There are also clinical educators as team members in a number of care areas to help colleagues learn a new technique or an evolving medical practice, or support people who are new to the environment.

These educators have become incredibly valuable given the trend in healthcare to hire internationally educated healthcare professionals who have experienced different practices. About 50 per cent of new clinical hires for nursing roles are internationally educated. She talks about the shift in the talent pool to diversity, highlighting her organization’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“We create an environment that when you come to Niagara Health based on your experience, you can be as comfortable as you can to demonstrate your highest level of clinical competence and capability while feeling supported.”

In 2025, Niagara Health was named one of Canada’s top diversity employers for a third year in a row. They’ve also launched a new mentorship program to recognize succession planning, helping team members grow and develop their career.

“The mentorship program is open to anyone,” says Peacefull, “We have physicians, we have frontline staff, and leaders across the organization.”