BCNU Launches New Television Ad to Highlight Nurses' Dire Working Conditions

As hospital wait lists grow and temporary emergency room closures become the norm, the BC Nurses’ Union is launching a new province-wide ad campaign to highlight the dire state of the health-care system, and the impact it’s having on patients and nurses.

Deteriorating working conditions and unrelenting demands are consistently impeding nurses’ ability to provide the standard of care they feel their patients deserve. It’s a reality that is so morally distressing, many are choosing to leave the profession they love altogether.

“Our nurses are telling us they have never seen working conditions as bad as they are now,” says BCNU President Aman Grewal. “Nurses are working 16 to 18-hour shifts without breaks, without support and they feel abandoned. Nurses aren’t just burnt out, they’re mentally exhausted as well.” 

BCNU has been calling on both the provincial and federal government to develop a nurse-focused health human resource plan to address the critical staffing shortage in BC and recently joined forces with the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) to advocate for nurses and highlight the health-care crisis at the Health Ministers’ Meeting in Vancouver earlier this month.

“I would like to know what Premier Eby’s plan looks like when it comes to improving the state of our health-care system in this province,” says Grewal. “We believe health care is a non-partisan issue and we want to see the government take swift action to get nurses the support they need. Nurses in BC have been working tirelessly at the expense of their own health. They are ready and willing to be at the table to discuss solutions to address the systemic issues we are seeing.”

The advertising campaign runs on television, social media and digital platforms across the province. Learn more and take action to support nurses at HelpBCNurses.ca. 

To arrange an interview, please contact BCNU’s Communications Department at media@bcnu.org.