Nova Scotia is launching a new program to hire full-time nurses who can travel to different hospitals when needed. The goal is to reduce reliance on temporary contract nurses hired from outside the province, which is expensive and creates instability in the healthcare system.

For years, Nova Scotia has been paying private nursing agencies to bring in travel nurses—nurses who move between hospitals to cover staff shortages. While they help in emergencies, they cost much more than full-time staff, and since they come and go, hospitals struggle to keep stable teams.

Premier Tim Houston says this new program will reduce those costs and keep more nurses working within the public system. “This will help retain nurses already working in our system and bring back those currently working for private agencies,” he said.

How the new program works

Nova Scotia Health will hire 20 to 30 full-time nurses who will be sent to emergency rooms that need extra help. These nurses will earn extra pay for their flexibility while keeping full-time benefits like pensions and job security.

Nurses who apply must already be working in Nova Scotia or be willing to move here. The program is expected to start by the end of March.

Cracking down on expensive travel nurse contracts

In December, the government also limited the time temporary travel nurses can work in Nova Scotia to six months per contract. Once their contract ends, they must wait a full year before returning. The goal is to encourage more nurses to take permanent jobs instead of temporary ones.

Nova Scotia is also stopping new nursing graduates from working as travel nurses for their first year after graduation.

Health Minister Michelle Thompson says the province wants more nurses to stay in one place long-term. “There are many opportunities for permanent jobs, and we welcome any nurse who wants to be part of lasting change in our healthcare system.”

Nurses interested in the new program will soon get details on how to apply. While temporary nurses will still play a role, the province is focused on building a stable, permanent healthcare workforce.