February 2, 2000
(Health and Community Services)

Signing Bonus for Graduating Nurses

An announcement by the provincial health minister today should help keep graduating student nurses at home, and help to stabilize the health care system in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Health and Community Services Minister Roger Grimes said government is setting aside one- time funding in the amount of up to $600,000 to offer a $3,000 cash incentive to fourth-year student nurses who are graduating in the year 2000, and who commit to work in the province for at least one year. This is in addition to bursary/incentive programs already in place for health professionals which total over $1.5 million annually. One hundred and sixty student nurses are expected to graduate this spring in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The minister also announced that the Department of Health and Community Services will work with the Human Resource Sub-Committee on Nursing, made up of representatives from the department, student nurses, the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union, and the health boards, to map out a longer term Provincial Nursing Recruitment Program.

This recruitment program, which should be announced in the next couple of weeks, will likely involve early recruiting of student nurses combined with a monetary sign-on incentive tied to the number of years a nurse is willing to work in this province.

"One of the keys to stabilizing the health care system in this province rests with ensuring an adequate supply of human resources," said Minister Grimes. "Nurses are a very important component of that mix, and I am pleased today to be able to offer a one-time incentive to students graduating from the province�s schools of nursing this year, and from other schools outside the province. This is on top of almost $14 million which government allotted in the past year for up to 640 nursing and nursing support positions."

Nursing positions have already been offered to current members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union, but there are not enough nurses to fill all vacant positions. Faced with the effects of a national nursing crisis, government is moving today to fill the nursing void in the health and community services system.

"With a starting salary of $34,022 (including pay equity) and a one-time $3,000 incentive, the offer for young nursing graduates is appealing," said Minister Grimes. "I encourage every single graduating student nurse to seriously consider the invitation to work at home. It should also assist in reducing the debt load of student nurses."

In return for the incentive, graduates would be required to sign a one-year service contract with one of the province�s health care boards. Fourth-year nursing students from inside and outside the province are eligible for the incentive, and do not have to be native Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Government is currently working on a comprehensive human resource planning initiative for all key stakeholders, including nurses, physicians and other health care professionals. By anticipating

how national trends may affect this province, government hopes to be able to better plan to have the right health care professionals in the right place for the 21st century. Minister Grimes said this ongoing planning process is key to stabilizing the health care system in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In the past few years, the provincial government has added $45 million to the base budget of health boards, as well as committed almost $40 million to virtually eliminate board deficits to the end of March 1998. It has also committed millions of dollars for more physicians, capital equipment for hospitals, and the construction of new health care facilities.

Health care remains the number one priority of government. Minister Grimes said government will continue to work to meet the needs of patients and their families.

Media contact: Carl Cooper, Communications, (709) 729-1377.