Nurses self-scheduling pilot could help with retention amid rising vacancies in N.B.: union

New Brunswick has more than 1,000 vacant nursing positions, data from the regional health networks shows.

More than three-quarters of the permanent positions are within the Horizon Health Network. It's looking to recruit 542 registered nurses, 163 licensed practical nurses and 65 patient care attendants.

Horizon spokesperson Kris McDavid did not say how many of those vacancies are within hospital emergency departments.

Meanwhile the Vitalité Health Network needs to hire 261 registered nurses, 77 licensed practical nurses and 87 patient care attendants, as of Dec. 31.

Thirty-five of those openings are in ERs, according to a spokesperson.

It's one part of a plan that's going to take a multitude of ideas to help get us out of the mess that we're in.- Paula Doucet, New Brunswick Nurses Union president

Nursing shortages are hampering health care in the province. Health facilities are understaffed and emergency departments are routinely closed temporarily because of a lack of nurses.

Many nurses are burned out from working extra shifts and some are leaving the profession.

Paula Doucet, president of the New Brunswick Nurses Union, contends the province can't hire its way out of the nursing deficit right now, but is hopeful a pilot scheduled to begin at Horizon in the coming weeks will help with retention.

As part of the provincial government's ongoing health-care reforms, some nurses in certain units will be able to set their own schedules.

It's meant to increase job satisfaction, provide some flexibility, and offer a better work-life balance.

"It's one part of a plan that's going to take a multitude of ideas to help get us out of the mess that we're in," said Doucet.

Respect 'huge factor,' retention bonus proposed

"It's not going to be a quick fix, but I think the fact that they're willing to give some autonomy back to the nurses is a small step in showing that respect for what they do."

Respect is a "huge factor" in job satisfaction for nurses, who were already struggling with staffing shortages before the COVID-19 pandemic and have spent the past three years of working in what she called deplorable conditions.

As it stands, scheduling is either centralized or nurses get their schedules in advance without much say as to when they would prefer to work or when they need time off, said Doucet.

The union has advocated for many years to give autonomy back to unit managers because they know their staff best, she said.

Doucet believes self-scheduling would work well with full staffing.

She said it might not be optimal given the 770 vacancies at Horizon, but it's "a step in the right direction."

The union also recently proposed the Higgs government look at offering a retention bonus for nurses who have "toughed it out throughout the last number of years," similar to the incentive offered in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In August, the Newfoundland and Labrador government announced a number of short-term incentives to retain nurses, including retention bonuses available to Registered Nurses' Union N.L. members for a minimum of a one-year commitment.

Doucet declined to reveal the amount proposed for New Brunswick nurses.

Still a great career

"We need to look at keeping the experienced staff that we have in our facilities now if we're ever going to recruit new staff, because we need that experience here to help guide them, orient them, you know, give them a really good mentorship so that they become really great nurses as well," she said.

After 27 years as a registered nurse, Doucet said it's still a great career and she still loves what she does.

"But it's becoming increasingly difficult to do that job when you have less resources and less support, and the system is just broken around us, to provide the optimal care that nurses want to provide."

In addition to increasing staffing levels, the province needs to look at its health delivery model, capacity issues, and long-term care delivery, she said, pointing to the numerous seniors waiting in hospital for a nursing home bed.

Horizon declined to provide more information about the self-scheduling pilot, saying details, such as which units will take part, are still being finalized.

Vitalité plans 12-day recruitment trip abroad

Vitalité is "very proactive" in recruiting nurses, according to Frédéric Finn, vice-president of employee experience.

Next month, representatives of the health network will travel to Ivory Coast, Morocco and Senegal on a 12-day international recruitment mission, he said.

"Our initiatives in New Brunswick, across Canada and internationally are beginning to show results," Finn said in an emailed statement.

Seventy-six international hires — nurses and patient care attendants — are scheduled to arrive and start at various times throughout the year, he said.

Since the beginning of last fall, Vitalité has hired 72 graduates of the registered nurse program, 65 graduates of the licensed practical nurse program and four graduates of the nurse practitioner program, who will start work upon graduation later this year, Finn said.