148 nurses return to N.S. health care to take advantage of $10K incentive

Dozens of nurses have agreed to come back to work in Nova Scotia's strained health-care system since the provincial government announced a $10,000 incentive to do so in March.

In a news release, the province said 148 retired, casual and travel nurses have accepted permanent positions. This means that they will work in the publicly funded health-care system for at least two years. 

"We have been clear with nurses — we need you, and we want to work with you," Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson said in the release. 

These returning nurses will represent more than 270,000 hours a year of direct care for tens of thousands of patients in the province, the release says. Thirty-four "hard-to-fill" positions, which have been posted for at least 90 days, are now staffed, it says.

During a news conference, Thompson said hard-to-fill positions could include those at rural facilities and nurses with specialized skill sets.

She said while some of the employees who had worked casually were working full time, the ones who signed to be permanent full time are helping add stability in the field.

'Important part is around the predictability'

"The important part is around the predictability, right? So casual employees, when we have a vacancy in the health-care system, we may fill that two shifts at a time, three shifts at a time ... you're constantly chasing the vacancy," said Thompson.

"So to have 148 individuals come back into this regular full-time, predictable employment is very important."

Should a nurse take a position that is less than full time, they will be eligible for a portion of the bonus. For example, a nurse who took a 50 per cent position will receive half the bonus. 

Nova Scotia Health recruited 140 permanent nurses, with 131 of them being former casual employees. The health authority also recruited two retirees, two travel nurses and five private nurses back to permanent positions.

The IWK has two nurses returning to permanent positions who previously had been casually employed.

In continuing care, five were previously casual and one was working privately and returned to the public sector.

'Every little bit helps'

The government has also offered jobs to all graduating nurses in Nova Scotia and added 200 seats at nursing schools in the province, the release says.

Janet Hazelton, president of the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union, said 148 permanent hires is "fantastic."

"Converting [casual workers] to permanent staff is what you needed to do to get this, [it] means you have a commitment to the employer," Hazelton said.

According to Hazelton, it's difficult to schedule casual employees, but permanent employees must stick to the schedule. 

But, she said, the province is still short about 2,000 nurses.

"Every little bit helps," Hazelton said. "... If the government decides to do [the incentive] again, it might be 300, 400, 500 nurses. You know, $10,000 is a significant amount of money."