Travel nurse who left rural job says N.L. is pushing people out of public health system – CBC

Stacey Button says she was underappreciated as an LPN in Springdale

Apr 30, 2024

Stacey Button felt unsupported and overworked as a licensed practical nurse in rural Newfoundland, an experience fraught with so much stress and dejection that she left her home and a full-time job to become a travel nurse.

She says she now has job flexibility, is treated with respect and gets paid far more than she did back home.

As well, Button says that if the Newfoundland and Labrador government doesn’t make major changes to the public health system, it will be challenging to persuade many other nurses to stay in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“You can’t have it both. You can’t expect people to do this crazy hard job and then also try to rein them in and, like, squeeze them as tight as you can,” said Button.

“Health care needs nurses more than nurses need to work here.”

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/travel-nurse-rural-nl-1.7187927