THE BC Nurses’ Union said on Monday that it was encouraged to see premiers from across Canada united in their calls for federal attention to the urgent need for more resources to support the national health-care system.

BCNU President Aman Grewal joined with other nursing union presidents from across the country to take this opportunity to emphasize the dire staffing crisis that all provinces are facing.

Led by Linda Silas, President of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU), nurse leaders said they are not only raising the issue, but have also come prepared with solutions to alleviate the health human resource challenges that continue to have a devastating impact on nurses’ physical and mental health, as well as health outcomes for the patients they care for.

“We need all levels of government at the table to develop solutions and nurses must be there too. Our provincial and territorial governments cannot fix this problem on their own,” said Grewal.

“We need the federal government to act swiftly. The system needs a comprehensive health human resources plan to improve supports for the provinces in order to prevent the health-care system from collapsing.”