Horizon Hires 106 New Nursing Grads June 25, 2021 (HORIZON) – Horizon has hired 106 new nursing graduates (registered nurses) so far in 2021 – the majority of which are New Brunswickers. Ninety-one (91) of these graduates are from New Brunswick nursing programs (University of New Brunswick and Université de Moncton) and 15 are from programs outside of New Brunswick. “We are so pleased to welcome these new nursing professionals to the Horizon team,” said Karen McGrath, Horizon’s President and CEO. “We are eager to have them fill various roles across Horizon, including on roles on nursing units at many of our regional hospitals.” Nurses are a critical part of our health care teams; we rely on over 5,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to provide care throughout all sectors of our network. A large cohort of nurses is retiring, or approaching retirement, and we are proactively working to recruit enough candidates to fill these vacancies. Hiring local graduate nurses is an important part of our recruitment strategy. Right now, there are 650 nursing vacancies within Horizon’s hospitals – 529 RN positions and 121 LPN positions. We are also working to provide vacation time for our staff, even in the face of these shortages. Time away from the workplace to relax and refresh is necessary to prevent burnout and chronic stress. “Our nursing staff are the heart of health care in this province, and the COVID-19 pandemic amplified the significance of their work, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year,” said Geri Geldart, Horizon’s Vice President Clinical and Chief Nursing Officer. “We know our staff have been under tremendous pressure over the last year and a half, and they are more than deserving of time off.” Despite these efforts, our nursing shortages remain critical, and we will continue to look at new and innovative ways to continue to offer our services and provide safe and quality care, which include increased national and international recruitment. – 30 – For more information contact: Kris McDavidMedia Relations1-877-499-1899Media@HorizonNB.cahorizonnb.ca/news