March 24, 2024
N.L.'s registered nurses' union wants to expand a nurse locum program that allows nurses in the provincial system to fill short-term gaps in Labrador. About 100 nurses have taken part in the program that began in Sept. 2022, costing about $2.95 million. Union president Yvette Coffey said the pilot program offers incentives comparable to those provided to agency nurses travelling to N.L., which the provincial government has been relying on to keep rural emergency rooms open. The Globe and Mail revealed the government spent $35.6 million on private agency nurses from Apr. to Aug. 2023. The pilot nurse locum project was originally intended to last a year, Coffey said but has been extended until the end of Jan. 2025.
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