Local nurses call for more staff in hospitals

TUCSON (KVOA) - Local Nurses are urging hospitals to increase staffing during the pandemic.

On Tuesday, nurses calling on St. Mary's and St. Joseph's hospitals to invest in hiring more staff who could provide the highest level of care possible to their patients at any time.

Each hospital has a general idea of optimal staffing levels, which may not always align with what nurses feel.

"At this point with just the influx of cases the hospital is aware of what we consider optimal, and so we're urging them to do everything in their power to achieve that for us," Chief Nurse Rep. Christine Valenzuela said.

She also asked the public to follow CDC guidelines to help improve care for the patients in the hospital.