The province has attracted more than 140 nurses back to the health system.
Government recently offered nurses who left the system $10,000 to return; and 148 retired, casual and travel nurses have accepted permanent positions. They will work in the publicly funded system for two years.
Health and Wellness Minister and Antigonish MLA Michelle Thompson says when the province invests in nurses, it is also investing in better care for Nova Scotians.
The returning nurses represent more than 270,000 hours a year of direct care for tens of thousands of patients. As a result, 34 hard-to-fill positions, those posted for at least 90 days, are now staffed.
The $10,000 incentive was recently offered to nurses if they agreed to come back to a permanent position and signed a two-year return to service agreement by March 31st. They began work in April. The incentive is prorated if the position is less than full-time. For example, a nurse taking a 50 per cent position is eligible for half the bonus.