For over a year, Nurses of Ontario have been expected to perform as healthcare heroes during COVID-19. Critical Care also known as ICU Nurses have faced the highest burden of caring for those infected with the virus. ICU Nurses have been asked to deal with an increase of stress and workload with no additional compensation. During the shifts of additional stress with higher patient ratios and workload, ICU Nurses are also being asked to train additional staff and work with limited or lack of supplies. As the hospital and government recognized the burnout associated with ICU Nurses and their unsustainable expectations of them, it was decided to call on other disciplines, such as doctors, to come support nurses. These doctors were heavily compensated for being redeployed to hazardous and stressful work conditions. The nurses already staffing the COVID units were not compensated. In fact, the nurses are now expected to train the re-deployed and compensated doctors to perform nursing duties. The Nurses of Ontario are burnt out and tired of the lack of just action. They are constantly displayed as heroes, and yet little has been done to support them. The Nurses of Ontario are seeking the Ontario Government to complete the following:

1. Exempt Registered Nurses and other healthcare professionals form Bill 124.
2. Provide financial compensation for Registered Nurses who continue to care for and fight for patient safety and quality care during COVID-19.
3. Recognize that critical care nursing and a variety of other specialities  require further education, certifications, and qualifications, and therefore should be rightfully compensated for additional skills.
4. Support a Critical Care Coalition in which nurses can continue to advocate for public and patient safety.
5. Begin discussions on the diversity and specializations within nursing to support continued education and retention in the nursing profession. 

To read the full letter please refer to this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSt1Lmcd3S0_fhF7SrxwgtjrPolIJSqzO1hqjDvmaR4f6G0Yl2K4scjk7uXWXft48bM63m46GMK48SU/pub