The province's nurses' union is in favour of travel nurses...just not the ones who come from elsewhere and cost a fortune. We heard about the expansion of a pilot project that will allow local nurses to cover openings in underserved communities instead

The provincial government was embarrassed and scrambling for answers earlier this year, when the Globe and Mail wrote about how much it spends on travel nurses. In 2023, it paid out more than thirty-six million dollars over just five months. That's why the provincial registered nurses' union wants to expand a pilot project started in Labrador in 2022. It "borrows" local nurses from other locations and uses them to fill the gap for short periods at a time. Yvette Coffey is president of the Registered Nurses' Union Newfoundland and Labrador, and she spoke with the CBC's Leigh Anne Power.