FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2026
Budget 2026 Must Deliver Safe Staffing and Real Healthcare Solutions, Says RNU
St. John’s, NL – As the provincial government releases Budget 2026, the Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland and Labrador (RNU) says one thing must come first: safe staffing in every hospital, clinic, and long-term care home.
Across the province, people are waiting longer for care. Services are stretched. Nurses are working short staffed, often without enough support to meet patient needs safely.
RNU says people deserve to know something simple: when they need healthcare, there will be enough nurses there to care for them.
“Our members are doing everything they can to hold the system together,” said Yvette Coffey, President of RNU. “But when there are not enough nurses, care slows down, risks go up, and people feel it.”
Government has already committed to implement the recommendations of a province-wide Core Staffing Review.
“We don’t need more studies sitting on a shelf,” said Coffey. “We need action. People need to know that when they need care, there will be enough nurses there to provide it safely.”
RNU says safe staffing is not just a workplace issue. It is a public safety issue.
“This is about your wait time in emergency,” Coffey said. “It is about whether your parent gets the care they need in long-term care. It is about whether nurses have the time to do their jobs properly. Safe staffing is what keeps people safe.”
The union says fixing staffing is possible, but it requires government to make different choices.
Right now, the province continues to spend millions on private nursing agencies while the public system struggles to keep up.
“Right now, we are paying for crisis,” said Coffey. “We are sending public money out of the system while our own nurses are burning out. That has to change.”
RNU is calling on government to bring that money back into the public system by building a stable, publicly employed workforce.
A key part of that plan is a provincial nursing travel team, a made-in-Newfoundland and Labrador solution that would send nurses where they are needed most and help stabilize care across the province.
“We can use our own nurses to support communities across Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Coffey. “That means more stable services, less disruption, and better care for patients.”
RNU is also calling for full investment in Nurse Practitioners to improve access to primary care.
“We already have the people and the skills inside our system,” said Coffey. “If you need healthcare, Nurse Practitioners can help. They can diagnose, treat, and manage patients.”
“When we support them properly, people get care faster and closer to home,” Coffey added.
The union says building a stable system also means investing in the next generation of nurses.
“We cannot fix this without new nurses coming into the system,” said Coffey. “Right now, nursing students are working long hours in clinical placements without pay. That is not right.”
RNU is calling for paid clinical placements and better supports for students.
“If we value nurses, we need to show it from day one,” Coffey said. “Investing in students today means more nurses tomorrow.”
With Budget 2026 now being released, RNU says this is a moment for real decisions and real accountability.
“This is a choice,” said Coffey. “We can keep paying for crisis, or we can build a system that works. People should expect better, and they should tell their MHA that safe staffing matters to them.”
RNU’s message is clear:
Safe Staffing Saves. Patients. Nurses. Healthcare.
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About the Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland & Labrador
The Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland & Labrador represents over 6,000 registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, and nurse practitioners across the province, advocating for quality health care, safe working conditions, and respect for the nursing profession.
Media Contact:
Jonathan Hamel
Director of Communications
Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland & Labrador
Tel: (709) 691-6890
Email: jhamel@rnunl.ca