Tina Coletti, BC Nurses' Union West Kootenay regional chair, was among a dozen nurses who delivered that message to the Interior Health board of directors and IH's top brass, saying nurses had been coming forward with solutions but nobody had been listening. 

Coletti said nurses have three points: safe workloads, leadership and investment in nurses.

She said the safety of patients and nurses go together, noting restrictions in the collective agreement have to be reduced in order to make structural changes to the system, "so we have correct nurse-to-patient ratios."

Coletti also called for a "compass" to guide nurses.  "We need leaders that will be bold, that will deal with the challenges and not put them under carpets."  She called for an end to top-down management.

Coletti also said it was time to invest in nurses.  While the provincial government has provided $3 million dollars for special education, she said nurses were hard pressed to access that education because of time restrictions.  Unable to get time off, nurses have had to go casual or quit their jobs to take extra training.