The BC Nurses’ Union (BCNU) is calling on its candidates to commit to a minimum nurse-to-patient ratio for a stronger public healthcare system ahead of the provincial elections.

“We are asking all election candidates to support minimum nurse-to-patient ratios to help retain and recruit the nurses B.C. needs and ensure our public healthcare system has enough nurses to deliver high-quality care to everyone when they need it,” said BCNU President Adriane Gear, in a release Tuesday.

The union has also launched an awareness campaign to educate people on the benefits of nurse-to-patient ratios.

She says it is very difficult to be a nurse right now and more funding is required.

“It is concerning to hear some candidates supporting increased privatization of health care,” she said. “BC has a lot of work to do to fix health care, but nurses know privatization will only make it worse, pulling staff and resources away from the public system to serve those who can afford to pay for care. We need solutions like staffing ratios to strengthen our public health care system so that it works better for everyone.”

Gear told 1130 NewsRadio that B.C. is the first jurisdiction in Canada to negotiate this type of policy, but a lot more work needs to be done.

“We’ll work with any government that wants to invest in healthcare and nurses,” she said. “As a union, we certainly support that publicly funded and delivered healthcare, we certainly don’t want to see budgets cut.”

Gear says they have 16 lobbyists, one situated in each region making all efforts to meet with candidates, to offer the opportunity for them to sign the pledge.