The New Brunswick Nurses Union says the use of travel nurses ballooned and states the use of the costly service needs to stop. It claims from Oct. 2022 to Mar. 31, Horizon spent $5 million. That number increased substantially in the five-month period between Apr. 1 and Aug. 31, for a total spend of $22 million. At the Vitalité Health Network, the spend was greater: from July 2022 to Mar. 31, $19 million was spent. From Apr. 1 to Aug. 31, 2023, another $34 million was spent. According to the NBNU, travel nurses cost $142 an hour, compared to an average hourly wage for mid-career nurses in N.B. of $45.67 an hour. The union is calling on the provincial government to halt the use of travel nurses by the end of 2025, similar to the commitment made in Que. It believes the government should invest in the retention of N.B. nurses and recruitment of nurses who are living and working in the province.
Related:
Le coût des infirmières d'agence est beaucoup trop élevé, selon le syndicat - Acadie Nouvelle (abonnement)
N.S. government to limit the use of travel nurses - CBC News
NBNU says Horizon, Vitalité spent $56M on travel nurses in five months
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December 05, 2023
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