65 nurses take jobs in Cape Breton through bonus program

Twenty nurses have taken jobs at Cape Breton’s busiest hospital.

It comes as the facility deals with a significant staffing shortage, according to a doctor who works there.

“I work frequently in the emergency department and currently we're 40 per cent staffed, which means 60 per cent of the nursing positions in the emergency department are unfilled,” said Dr. Margaret Fraser.

The new nurses at Cape Breton Regional Hospital are among the roughly 150 hired across the province as part of a new incentive program.

It sees nurses who agree to work full-time in the public system for two years get a $10,000 bonus. Those who agree to work part-time will get prorated percentage of the full bonus.

The president of the Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union says the nurse shortage is province-wide.

“There is somewhere between 1,200 and 1,600 vacant nursing vacancies within the [Nova Scotia] Health Authority,” said Janet Hazelton.

An additional 45 nurses have taken jobs elsewhere in Cape Breton.

Hazelton supports the recruiting effort but says there is more work to do. She says many nurses aren’t getting the time off their entitled to and working too much overtime.

“Their work-life balance is not good and we need to address that,” said Hazelton.

A statement from the Department of Health and Wellness said in part, “This is only one part of a larger strategy to retain and recruit talent in our healthcare system. We know there is more work to do. But we don’t want to overlook the immediate benefits and relief this good news is going to have for many Nova Scotians.”

The bonus program extends to nurses who’ve left the public system but agree to come back and sign a two-year agreement. To qualify, they needed to agree to take a publicly-funded position by March 31.But we don’t want to overlook the immediate benefits and relief this good news is going to have for many Nova Scotians.

Hazelton is hoping the government will extend that deadline to allow more positions to be filled.

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