MEDIA RELEASE: Hiring Graduate Nurses Good News, But Not Nearly Enough

Today’s announced hiring of nursing school graduates by the province is welcome news to the thousands of nurses who work short staffed throughout the health care system.

“This is a good first step to address the serious holes in the health care system. But even if every one of these graduates started tomorrow, according to Nova Scotia Health’s own numbers, they would still be well over 1000 vacancies. The NSH is in dire need of nurses,” said NSGEU President Sandra Mullen. “Our nurses are exhausted, and they tell their managers and the union every day that they fear for the quality of care they are able to deliver to patients because they are so short staffed.”

This announcement also does little to address the needs of experienced nurses currently working in the system.

“Nurses are burning out and need help now,” said Mullen. “Many retired nurses that came back to work during the pandemic are now leaving because they are exhausted and underpaid. Hiring graduates is part of the answer but there are thousands of nurses working tirelessly right now that who are among the lowest paid in the country, who are working short everyday and are being ignored by their employer.”

The NSGEU represents nearly 4000 nurses who work in hospitals, emergency departments and other health care settings.

“The NSH’s own critical capacity reports pull the curtain back on what’s happening in the health care system. This is good news but not nearly enough.”

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The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union represents over 31,000 workers who provide quality public services Nova Scotians count on every day.

For more information, or to arrange an interview with NSGEU President Sandra Mullen, please contact:

Lucas Wide, NSGEU Communications Officer,

902-497-5010 (cell)

lwide@nsgeu.ca