As the provincial budget is released today, the Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland & Labrador (RNU) says government has failed to meet the moment. While the budget includes a $10 million investment in recruitment and retention, the union says there is no meaningful plan to retain the nurses we already have, or to ensure safe, sustainable working conditions.

“We’ve said it before: if we’re not supporting our nurses, we’re setting them up to fail,” said Yvette Coffey, President of RNU. “This budget offers no clear plan to retain the nurses we have — and no sign that government truly understands the depth of the crisis in our system.”

RNU says the budget misses the mark in several key areas:

• No detailed support for Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs), many of whom are feeling abandoned after being recruited.
• No commitment to hire new nursing graduates into full-time permanent roles. Instead, new RNs are being offered temporary jobs — an approach that undermines both retention and workforce planning.
• No mention of paying students for clinical placements. Nursing students continue to work unpaid while paying tuition — something male-dominated professions like engineering no longer tolerate.
• No funding model for Nurse Practitioners (NPs). Despite government’s talk of improving access to care, there’s no investment in allowing NPs to work to their full scope or lead primary care delivery.

“This budget was an opportunity to invest in nurses as the solution — not just talk about it,” Coffey said. “We are still using core staffing numbers from the 1990s. We can afford to overhire. It’s time to put our nurses to work and stop the games.”

RNU also expressed disappointment that the budget did not include action on establishing an Independent Health Sector Safety Council, despite government’s previous statements acknowledging violence in healthcare workplaces.

“There is tremendous economic uncertainty in our province right now,” said Coffey. “But that does not give us permission to abandon the healthcare needs of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. It doesn’t excuse inaction on equity. And it certainly doesn’t justify hanging nurses out to dry in unsafe conditions.”

RNU will continue to call for strategic, transparent investments in frontline care and support for the nurses who sustain the public healthcare system every day.

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About the Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland & Labrador
The Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland & Labrador (RNU) represents over 5,800 registered nurses and nurse practitioners working in acute care, long-term care, community, education, and research. The Union advocates for its members and the public healthcare system to improve access, quality, and sustainability of care in Newfoundland and Labrador.

For more information, please contact:

Jonathan Hamel
Director of Communications
Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland & Labrador
Phone: (709) 691-6890
Email: jhamel@rnunl.ca