Frequently Asked Questions

No. The Nursing PLEDGE program is designed exclusively to support Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs), Registered Nurses (RNs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs). For funding to support nursing students or Personal Support Workers (PSWs), please refer to the Ontario CLRI PREP LTC program

The stipend funding from Ontario Health is intended to enable the LTC home to provide a direct financial “top-up” to the regular wage of nurse mentors for the time they spend mentoring. This acknowledges the additional responsibilities the nurse mentor is taking on through the mentorship role. The specific amount of wage top-up is determined by your home in consultation with labour relations, up to a maximum of $50/hour. For inquiries regarding stipend criteria, eligibility, funding amounts and reporting, please contact Ontario Health directly at info-hfo@ontariohealth.ca or visit their website.

The backfill funding from the Ontario CLRI is intended to cover the costs to the LTC home of bringing in additional nurses to backfill mentors and mentees when they are engaged in mentorship activities and unavailable for their regular shift duties. The backfill support ensures that mentors and mentees have dedicated time to focus on mentorship activities. To learn more, see the funding page.

Mentors and mentees continue to work their regular shift hours, but they are relieved of their daily responsibilities during dedicated mentorship time. Ensuring that other team members and residents know the mentor and mentee are unavailable (even if they are seen on the floor) and that residents’ needs are covered by other nurses allows both the mentor and mentee to fully focus on their mentorship activities. The Ontario CLRI backfill funding helps homes to cover the cost of bringing in additional nursing team members to cover the daily responsibilities of the mentor and mentee while they are “off the floor” engaged in mentoring activities.

Yes, if you wish to access the coordination and backfill funding, as well as the educational resources provided to support your LTC home in developing a robust mentorship program.  You do not need to register for the top-up stipend with Ontario Health to be part of Nursing PLEDGE through the  Ontario CLRI. To enroll in Nursing PLEDGE with the Ontario CLRI, go here.

Understanding that every LTC home has unique needs, Nursing PLEDGE offers the flexibility to tailor your mentorship program. However, we provide guidance, tools and resources to help you develop or enhance your mentorship program. Our supports include a start-up guide and checklist for mentorship coordinators, a plug-and-play learning plan, a mentorship agreement, mentorship orientation templates, a monthly Community of Practice session for mentors, and more.

The Ontario CLRI does not require long-term care homes to track or submit mentorship hours. Instead, backfill funding is tied to your LTC home meeting program requirements, such as having active mentors and mentees, regular attendance at the Communities of Practice, and mentor/mentee completion of the three short eLearning courses. Please visit our funding page for more details on the requirements.

If you’ve registered for the nurse wage top-up stipend through Ontario Health (separate from the backfill funding available through the Ontario CLRI), you are required to track and submit monthly hours through their online portal.  Please contact Ontario Health directly at info-hfo@ontariohealth.ca or check out their website for more information on the top-up stipend tracking requirements.

No. LTC homes enrolled in Nursing PLEDGE are automatically re-enrolled in subsequent years of the program and automatically qualify for funding. Nursing PLEDGE program years span April 1-March 31. Re-enrolled LTC homes are asked to confirm they wish to receive funding for the new program year.

Participating LTC homes can hire a new RPN, RN, or NP to serve as a mentor in the home, provided they meet the eligibility requirements to be a mentor. However, the backfill funding provided cannot be used to cover their wages, as they are being hired for mentorship and therefore would not need backfilling. In this case, the backfill funding could be used solely to cover the mentee’s backfill.

The CoP is a one-hour monthly online session for nurse mentors. Each session features a short teaching component on a mentorship topic, followed by guided peer connection time in small groups to reflect on insights and learn from other mentors from across Ontario. These sessions are a valuable resource for Nursing PLEDGE mentors to strengthen their practice, and regular participation is a condition for receiving backfill funding.

Nursing PLEDGE will be releasing three different on-demand eLearning courses, which all registered mentors and mentees are required to complete to receive backfill funding. Each course may take up to 30 mins for a mentor or mentee to complete. The curriculum follows the natural progression of the mentorship journey

Course 1: Beginning the Mentor/Mentee Relationship (Available now): Covers foundational roles, responsibilities, and boundary setting. Key resources include a Mentorship Agreement and a Learning Plan.

Course 2: Developing the Mentor/Mentee Relationship (Available October 2026): Addresses interpersonal dynamics, including conflict resolution, bias recognition, and equity, supported by a structured mentorship framework.

Course 3: Communication in the Mentor/Mentee Relationship (Available October 2026): Provides techniques for effective communication and feedback loops, including transitioning the relationship beyond formal mentorship.