As the Royal Inland Hospital continues to operate near 100 per cent capacity, Interior Health says it has hired 28 nursing students to work in the Kamloops facility.

It says 21 of these nurses are recent graduates of the nursing program at Thompson Rivers University.

In a statement Friday, IH President and CEO Susan Brown says the health authority is actively recruiting not just in Kamloops but throughout the region.

“We are working closely with education partners and reaching out to graduates to offer them rewarding career opportunities with Interior Health,” she said. “We want to encourage them to enjoy the perks of living and working in the beautiful Interior region after they complete their studies.”

IH says some of the nurses – who graduated in the fall term – have already started work at RIH while others will begin once they graduate from this winter semester, which typically ends some time in April.

“Our team at Royal Inland Hospital is grateful for the strong partnership with Thompson Rivers University, and we are pleased to be a top employer for new nursing graduates from across the Interior, in particularly from Thompson Rivers University,” RIH Executive Director of Clinical Operations, Tracey Rannie, added.

In all, Interior Health says it has hired 108 nursing students who have recently or who are about to graduate to work in facilities across its service area