A group of nurses from Hamilton met with two local MPPs Friday to discuss key issues in both nursing and healthcare in the community.

The meeting with MPP for Hamilton West – Ancaster – Dundas Sandy Shaw and Hamilton Centre MPP Monique Taylor centered on providing support for nurses throughout their careers and the growing opioid crisis.

It comes as the burnout rate for nurses soars to nearly 70 per cent, according to the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO).

A recent report from the RNAO examined the barriers in place to the retention and recruitment of nurses throughout the province, outlining 24 recommendations to address gaps in the system.

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That report remained a focus of the discussion, with attendees voicing a need for more support to allow for nurses to provide the best quality of care possible.

In addition to the two main concerns among the nurses present, Shaw and Taylor raised concerns for the shift in privatized healthcare under the Ford government.

Taylor says that the redistribution of nurses from the public to private system has only worsened an already dire staffing crisis.

The two MPPs are now calling on the government to increase funding for healthcare in order to better support both patients and nurses in the Hamilton system.

The meeting Friday was part of the RNAO’s annual Queen’s Park on the Road (QPOR) political action event that sees nurses meeting with their local representatives to discuss health policy for their respective communities.

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