RBC Foundation Donates $1 Million to Fund New Nursing Program at St. Paul's Hospital
Vancouver, May 7, 2009 — Nurses at St. Paul's Hospital will soon benefit from an innovative new mentorship and education program thanks to a landmark $1-million donation from the RBC Foundation. This milestone contribution will support the establishment of the new RBC Leadership Program for Nursing Innovation, which will provide nurses at St. Paul's Hospital with improved education and mentorship opportunities.
The establishment of the new program will allow St. Paul's to enhance the ability of nurses to further develop their skills and advance their careers. Funding from RBC Foundation will be used to enhance current educational opportunities and provide coaching for nurses who are starting out in their careers, allowing them to learn from experienced nurse “mentors”. The RBC Leadership Program for Nursing Innovation has been created to help St. Paul's recruit and retain registered nurses who are critical to delivering the high quality, compassionate care that St. Paul's Hospital is known for.
“We have exceptional resources within our experienced nursing staff,”said David Byres, Vice-President of Clinical Programs, Chief Professional Practice and Nursing at Providence Health Care. “Mentorship ensures that their skills and knowledge are passed down to newer nurses so they can supplement and enhance the learning and training that they received in school to ultimately deliver better patient care.”
“RBC is proud to support the establishment of the RBC Leadership Program for Nursing Innovation,”said Graham MacLachlan, RBC Regional President. “We recognize the importance of attracting and retaining registered nurses to British Columbia and the great value in early career nurses learning from experienced, senior nurses.”
“We are incredibly grateful for this very generous gift,”said Stephen Shapiro, President and CEO of the St. Paul's Hospital Foundation. “RBC's investment is a powerful recognition of the integral role that nurses play in our health care system and will transform the hospital's nurse education program.”
The RBC Leadership Program for Nursing Innovation is comprised of two main components. The first is the RBC Nursing Mentorship Program itself, which will provide early career nurses with dedicated mentor training and long-term career coaching. The RBC Nursing Education Awards are the second component. Each year, St. Paul's nurses can apply for awards to pursue a wide variety of educational opportunities. The first education awards will be given out May 11, marking the start of Nursing Week across Canada.
“RBC has shown great vision and generosity in providing the funds needed to start this important new program,” said Dianne Doyle, President and CEO of Providence Health Care. “This new program will not only be a tremendous benefit to our nurses but also to the many patients who come to us from throughout British Columbia each year.”
About RBC
RBC believes in building prosperity by contributing to the communities in which we live and work. We are now one of Canada's largest corporate donors, and we support a broad range of community initiatives, through donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2008, RBC contributed more than $99 million to community causes worldwide. As a founding member of Imagine Canada, RBC is committed to donating at least one per cent of our average annual net income before taxes.
About St. Paul's Hospital
St. Paul's Hospital, an academic health centre located in downtown Vancouver, is part of Providence Health Care, one of Canada's largest faith-based health providers. With close to 4,000 staff and physicians, St. Paul's is one of two adult care provincial academic health sciences centres affiliated with UBC, providing cutting-edge research and training programs across more than 30 clinical areas. The hospital is a major provincial teaching facility, offering training for future doctors, nurses, other health professionals and researchers. Each year at St. Paul's approximately 1,000 nursing students receive practical skills training. St. Paul's Hospital Foundation raises funds to support enhanced patient care, research, teaching and equipment needs at St. Paul's Hospital.
Media Contacts:
St. Paul's Hospital Foundation
Christie Smith
604-806-9850
RBC Public Affairs
Leslie Dickson
604-665-4031
