The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Health and Community Services:

Newfoundland and Labrador Recognizes National Nursing Week

I am pleased to rise in this Honourable House today to acknowledge the week of May 9 to 15 as National Nursing Week. The theme this year is Nursing – The Health of our Nation.

Nurses across Newfoundland and Labrador play an essential role in the delivery of health care. This year, Newfoundland and Labrador made a particularly unique contribution to National Nursing Week. I’m proud to say that Lori-Ann Sacrey, a registered nurse from Baie Verte, submitted the winning entry to a contest held by the Canadian Nurses Association to determine the theme for this year’s National Nursing Week.

Our government recognizes the many different important roles that nurses play in our health care system. Nurses work in a variety of areas such as patient care, education, administration, research and policy. Whether they are interacting directly with patients or playing valuable roles in other areas of health care, nurses are making important contributions that enhance our health care system.

There are more than 6,200 registered nurses and approximately 2,700 licensed practical nurses are working across Newfoundland and Labrador. Our government has invested to effectively recruit and retain nurses by increasing the funding available to regional health authorities to implement professional development activities and to address recruitment and retention needs. There are now 13 registered nurse specific recruitment initiatives in place totalling more than $2.5 million annually. For example, starting January 2011, signing bonuses between $3,000 and $8,000 became available to registered nurses signing a one year service agreement to work in a difficult-to-fill position in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

I am pleased to report that last year approximately 86 per cent of our new bachelor of nursing graduates and approximately 97 per cent of our licensed practical graduates chose to work in Newfoundland and Labrador. This represents 195 Bachelor of Nursing graduates, and 171 licensed practical nursing graduates who stayed in the province to work. This increase in the number of nursing graduates staying in the province along with the decrease in vacant nursing positions provides evidence that our recruitment and retention strategies are working.

On behalf of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, I want to thank all nurses in the province for the important contributions they make and extend best wishes to them for National Nursing Week.

2011 05 11             2:20 p.m.