The Newfoundland and Labrador government plans to announce financial incentives for nurses and other health-care workers at a news conference this afternoon.
According to a press release from the provincial government, Premier Andrew Furey, Health Minister Tom Osborne and Yvettte Coffey, president of the provincial Registered Nurses’ Union, will be at the news conference, scheduled for 1 p.m. NT.
Nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador are rapidly leaving the profession, with more than 600 current vacancies and another 900 nurses able to retire.
Some, like Lauren Byrne, have even quit permanent positions to become casual workers, something half in the profession say they’re considering.
Some health authorities in the province have been relying on travel nurse agencies, which pay nurses with public funds but at a higher rate than health authorities, to fill gaps.
In Tuesday’s press…
