NL Health Services Takes Steps to Standardize the Use of Agencies for Nursing Staff

Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Health Services issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) today (August 14), which will standardize the use of agencies for nursing staff across the province. This RFP is the next step in NL Health Services’ commitment to implement cost-effective arrangements to address human resources challenges, including a review of contractual options for private health-care staff.

“Before the establishment of NL Health Services, agency nursing contracts were varied across the legacy health authorities. This RFP will ensure that there is consistency across the province when health-care professionals are needed,” said Debbie Molloy, vice-president of Human Resources, NL Health Services. “Specifically, the RFP will result in a list of approved agencies and ensure standard rates for all private health-care staff.”

All contracts will be for two years and the use of the approved list of agencies will only occur after other employment sources have been exhausted. Interested agencies should visit http://www.merx.com/govnl to review and bid on the RFP. Decisions on which agencies will be on the approved list of human resource services are expected to be made by early fall 2024.

Given ongoing staffing challenges, NL Health Services has been engaging private health-care staffing agencies. This is a short-term measure to ensure that the health authority can continue to deliver quality, safe care for patients and residents, as well as help relieve some pressure on existing staff.

“We are so appreciative of the care that nurses, including private agency nurses, provide at NL Health Services. I thank our nurses for their dedication and unwavering care, compassion, respect, and encouragement they provide to patients, residents and their families,” added Ms. Molloy.

In May, NL Health Services committed to reduce the number of private health-care staff to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels by April 2026. NL Health Services’ approach to reducing the number of private health-care staffing agencies includes:

• Encouraging casual nurses to take full-time employment;
• Reducing barriers for nurses to work more full-time hours including working with partners to provide accessible childcare;
• Developing a “grow your own” strategy to encourage career development for current employees;
• Retaining current employees through promotion of workplace safety and employee wellness initiatives;
• Working with the Department of Health and Community Services to offer incentives that have a return in service commitment;
• Working with union partners to address nursing shortages in rural and remote locations by establishing locum opportunities;
• Continuing international recruitment efforts; and
• Developing guidelines that ensure consistent use of private health-care staff.

This work complements successful efforts to recruit and retain new graduates from Newfoundland and Labrador Nursing schools. In 2024, a record-high 93 per cent of the total 2024 graduates have joined NL Health Services with 203 bachelor of nursing students and 167 practical nursing students accepting job offers and starting work across NL Health Services. Other student and graduate initiatives include:

• extending conditional job offers to students while still completing their academic program to provide them with job security;
• offering signing bonuses;
• improving bursaries;
• providing tuition supports for students enrolled in Bachelor of Nursing and licensed practical nursing programs for select campuses as of September 2024.

As a result of ongoing activities, NL Heath Services is starting to see positive results from its recruitment and retention efforts. NL Health Services is committed to supporting its people and teams by providing collaborative, safe, respectful, inclusive, supportive work environments and respecting and encouraging work-life balance. For more information on working with NL Health Services, please visit https://workinhealthnl.ca/.

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