More nurses are needed to provide safe patient care!

Nurses from across the lower mainland and Vancouver Island rallied at the legislature to deliver a clear message that more nurses are needed to provide safe patient care.

BC Nurses' Union President Gayle Duteil said there are not enough nurses to backfill vacancies, absences or daily spikes in emergency departments.

"In Kelowna last weekend some ER beds were closed because there weren't enough trained nurses. In Surrey, there are not enough nurses to care for the ever-rising number of patients flooding into Emergency. Patients are being forced to wait for hours to be seen. Too many patients for too few nurses makes care unsafe. From Prince George to Abbotsford, there are hundreds of vacancies and not enough nurses to treat patients safely."

BCNU negotiated a contract in 2012 that required health authorities to replace nurses when they are absent and hire more than 2,000 additional nurses before 2016.

Duteil says there is no shortage of new grads needing jobs and nurses are available for full time work.

"We're here today to hold the health authorities' feet to the fire. To send the message that you need to hire more nurses in order to provide safe patient care."