PODCAST: The Retention of NL Nurses in NL – A Conversation with NL Health Services

Original Presentation Date: 24 June 2025

Presenter

Collette Smith, Registered Nurse and the Senior Director of Recruitment, Retention, Education and Culture with NLHS

Honest, Open and Transparent. In our latest episode, our hosts sit down with Collette Smith, Senior Director of Recruitment & Retention at NL Health Services, to discuss the pressing issue of nursing retention in Newfoundland and Labrador. In this timely conversation we dive deep into:

• The frontline reality, how NLHS acknowledges heavy patient loads, frequent overtime, burnout, and moral distress are affecting nurses.
• The shift from recruitment to retention: Rather than relying solely on travel nurses, NLHS is investing in keeping its current workforce engaged and supported.
• Innovative strategies: Learning about flexible scheduling, mentorship programs, compassionate leadership training (including the EXTRA Fellow initiatives), and capacity management tools NLHS is implementing to enhance work–life balance.
• Empowering nurses’ voices: how NLHS is actively listening to frontline nurses—through moral community-building, inclusion in decision-making, and formal leadership development—to shape policies that support their wellbeing.

Tune in to hear how NLHS is tackling nurse retention from multiple angles—emotional, ethical, and operational. The Retention Task Force wants to hear from RNs. Connect with the task force by emailing retention@NLHealthServices.ca.

This episode offers valuable perspectives on creating a sustainable and supportive nursing environment in Newfoundland and Labrador, Check it out today!

Previous episodes are available on the College Connection Podcast page.