If you’re a nurse in New Brunswick, the government might give you thousands of dollars before the end of the year.

The province revealed today that permanent full-time nurses will get $10,000 dollars as part of a retention payment before Dec. 31. Part-time nurses will get a pro-rated amount based on hours worked in the last year.

Nurses who work in hospitals, in the extra-mural program, and in ambulances all qualify.

Holt said they’ve signed agreements with the provincial nurses’ union. But CUPE has not signed yet, so nurses who work in nursing homes under CUPE are not yet covered, said.

However, nurses in causal positions won’t receive the payments.

The government said 10,967 nurses are working in hospitals, in the extra-mural program and in ambulances. But the province said just over 9,950 nurses will get the retention payment.

Holt promised to deliver the cash on the first day of the election campaign.

It will cost the government $83 million to give out the money. Of that, they said the $23 million was previously budgeted and they will add $80 million to the wage bill for the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to a news release.