Nurses’ Union Raises Concerns Over MUN Decision to Suspend Accelerated Nursing Program

The Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland and Labrador is raising concerns about Memorial University’s decision to suspend the three-year accelerated option of its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, questioning how the move aligns with the province’s ongoing nursing shortage and access to health care.

Union president Yvette Coffey said any reduction in pathways into the nursing profession should be carefully scrutinized, particularly as hospitals and community health services across the province remain under strain.

“With the nursing shortage we are facing, any decision that reduces pathways into the profession needs to be carefully examined,” Coffey said in a statement. “We understand Memorial University is under financial pressure, but our public health-care system is under enormous strain as well, and nurses are essential to keeping it functioning.”

Memorial University has said the decision to suspend the accelerated program was based on enrolment levels, attrition and cost considerations. The union, however, says it has not seen clear public data demonstrating how suspending the program will improve access to care or strengthen the nursing workforce.

“This is a public institution making decisions that affect the public health-care system,” Coffey said. “It is reasonable for people to ask how this decision serves patients, families and communities, especially at a time when access to care is already a challenge.”

The union is also questioning whether all options to strengthen and support the program were considered before the decision was made, including recruitment efforts and additional student supports.

“If a program is not reaching capacity or students are struggling, the first question should be how to fix that,” Coffey said. “We should be looking at recruitment, student supports and long-term workforce needs before removing an education pathway altogether.”

Coffey noted that flexible nursing education options are particularly important for rural, remote and underserved areas, including Labrador, where access to care is already limited.

“Accelerated nursing programs can be an important pathway for mature students, those with prior post-secondary experience and people changing careers, many of whom go on to work in smaller communities,” she said. “When we reduce training options, we risk limiting the future nursing workforce in places that already struggle to recruit and retain health-care professionals.”

She added that staffing pressures are not limited to rural areas, pointing to ongoing workload concerns and nurse mandation in urban centres as well.

“This is not just a rural issue or a Labrador issue,” Coffey said. “Even our largest hospitals are under strain because there are not enough nurses to meet patient needs.”

The union says it is calling on Memorial University and the provincial government to work collaboratively with health-care partners, nurses and students to ensure decisions about nursing education support the long-term stability of Newfoundland and Labrador’s public health-care system.