Workers secure part of the scaffolding that is going up around the State House dome Friday as the repair project began this week. The scaffolding is scheduled to be up in the next three weeks and the 2.1 million project to fix the dome and add lighting is due to be completed in November.
Workers secure part of the scaffolding that is going up around the State House dome Friday as the repair project began this week. The scaffolding is scheduled to be up in the next three weeks and the 2.1 million project to fix the dome and add lighting is due to be completed in November. Credit: GEOFF FORESTER

Nurses at New Hampshire Hospital have a new contract, after the state’s Executive Council approved it on Wednesday.

The council approved the $4.5 million contract in a bipartisan vote. Gov. Maggie Hassan praised the move in a statement, saying she hopes the contract’s approval will alleviate the hospital’s nursing shortage.

“The contract approved in today’s bipartisan vote by the Executive Council will allow the hospital to hire more nurses to fill vacant positions, reduce overtime that places undue strains on those providing this critical care, and allow us to open the new crisis unit this summer,” Hassan said.

The hospital, which offers psychiatric services for children and adults, has been experiencing a significant staff shortage, which delayed the opening of a new 10-bed crisis unit there. This winter, there were 35 positions open out of a total staff count of 117.

In January, the Executive Council also approved about $2 million in raises for the hospital’s nurses, raising the average wage from $65,000 to $74,000 per year.