Santé Québec Laurentides says candidates and student externs are already working in hospitals and long-term care centres across the region.
The Laurentides public health network has added 264 early-career nursing recruits this summer, placing them in hospitals and residential and long-term care centres across the region.
Santé Québec Laurentides said in a July 24 release that the group includes 109 candidates for entry into the nursing profession, known in Quebec by the French acronym CEPI, and 155 nursing externs. The recruits have been working in regional facilities since May.
The intake is significant for a public health system that depends on maintaining enough trained staff to deliver care. The organization said the recruits are working alongside existing teams and contributing to services for patients and residents. The release did not provide a breakdown by facility, job assignment or municipality.
The health authority also pointed to retention among last year’s recruits. According to president and CEO Julie Delaney, 93 per cent of the CEPI employees hired in 2025 remain with the organization. She said that represents 96 nurses who chose to begin their careers in Laurentides facilities.
The figure was supplied by Santé Québec Laurentides and was not independently verified. The release did not specify how retention was measured or whether the percentage included all recruits hired during 2025.
Support before professional exams
Santé Québec Laurentides said it offers the recruits a tailored orientation and integration service, along with preparation programs for professional examinations administered by the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec and the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers auxiliaires du Québec.
The programs are intended to support candidates as they prepare for licensing exams and enter the workforce. The organization said its candidates’ exam success rate has remained above the national average in recent years, but the release did not include the current rate, the provincial comparison figure or the number of candidates assessed.
