I rise in this Honourable House today to acknowledge National Nursing Week 2010. The theme this year is Nursing: You Can't Live Without It!

The International Council of Nurses designated May 12 — Florence Nightingale's birthday — as International Nurses Day in 1971. In 1985, in recognition of the dedication and achievements of the nursing profession, the second week of May was proclaimed as National Nursing Week in Canada.

Our government recognizes the pivotal role nurses play in the provision of high-quality services in our health care system. From public health, to long-term care, to hospital care, these well-educated, highly competent professionals are on the front lines of patient care and are working behind the scenes in management and administration to ensure the health and overall well-being of the people in our province.

Since taking office, our government has made significant investments in nursing recruitment and retention along with making improvements to working conditions for our province's nurses. Just recently Eastern Health announced it has recruited 126 new nurses from the 2010 graduating class.

Increased funding is available to health authorities to advance professional development activities and to address recruitment and retention needs of the workforce.

In May of last year, we reached an agreement with the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union that included a pay increase over four years, plus increases to both starting and top salary scales. However, monetary increases are only one part of the investment our government has made to recruit and retain nurses.

Both the bachelor of nursing program and the practical nursing program have undergone expansion including a bridging program to enable licensed practical nurses to bridge to the BN program.

The creation of more full time RN and LPN positions to meet the need for increased services for home care, public health and other areas, as well as the decision to place additional nurse practitioners in emergency rooms, enables us to more fully meet the health care needs of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Some of our investments in Budget 2010 include $137,400 to hire licensed practical nurses to work in the communities of St. Anthony, Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Labrador West, and $246,000 for the addition of four nurses to ensure patient safety and quality of care in Neonatal Intensive Care.

I would like to take this opportunity to express sincere gratitude to the nurses in our province who continue to contribute positively in our health care system and provide exemplary care to each and every one of us when needed.