Nearly 10,000 nurses in New Brunswick will receive $10,000 retention payments before the end of the year as part of the provincial government’s efforts to address ongoing staffing shortages in the health-care sector.
The payments will go to permanent full-time and part-time nurses working in hospitals, the Extra-Mural Program, and Ambulance New Brunswick, with disbursements to nurses in the long-term care system starting in January.
“Nurses play a critical role across our health-care and long-term care systems here in New Brunswick,” said Premier Susan Holt. “These retention payments are meant to show our respect to the hard-working nurses in our regional health authorities and nursing homes around the province and will help to ensure that we can retain their valuable knowledge.”
Letters of agreement have been signed with the New Brunswick Nurses’ Union for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nurse practitioners, nurse managers, and supervisors working in regional health authorities and with Extra-Mural and Ambulance New Brunswick. In long-term care, the nurses’ union has signed for registered nurses, and the New Brunswick Union has signed for the licensed practical nurses it represents.
The government is continuing discussions with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which has yet to sign a letter of agreement for the more than 1,000 licensed practical nurses it represents in nursing homes.
A one-time lump-sum payment will be made before Dec. 31, subject to standard tax deductions. The total cost to the government is $83 million, with $23 million previously budgeted and an additional $60 million added to the wage bill for the 2024–25 fiscal year.
“I am pleased that our government is able to deliver on this commitment so quickly, showing our respect to nurses in a meaningful way,” said Health Minister John Dornan. “One of our priorities was supporting the delivery of these payments. We are pleased to be making progress on that initiative as we strive to improve working conditions and support wellness, as part of a multi-pronged approach.”
There are currently about 10,967 nurses working in regional health authorities, the Extra-Mural Program, Ambulance New Brunswick, and nursing homes across the province.
