The provincial government and nurses’ union got together this morning to announce plans aimed at keeping registered nurses and nurse practitioners in Newfoundland and Labrador.

To that end, a virtual so-called think tank is scheduled for April 4-5 to dig deeper into the issues and challenges around recruitment and retention.

It will hear first-hand the experiences of registered nurses, identify opportunities and plot a path to address all the burdens facing the profession.

More than 100 people will participate in the event, including members of the nurses’ union and its board of directors and staff. Managers, staff and senior officials from the Regional Health Authorities and other government departments will also take part.

The goal is to gather information for a report and recommendations to be presented to the recently announced new recruitment and retention office for healthcare professionals.

A new assistant deputy minister for that office is in the process of being hired.

Nurses’ union president Yvette Coffey says she fully supports the research and gathering of information through the think tank process.

But she says what nurses really want is change—and they want it now.

Coffey says it has to be “concrete and quick” and improve work-life balance, adding for now most nurses would just like to take a day off, which many are unable to get.