BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — Nursing shortages have been taking place around the country, as those in the industry fight for their needs — and in the hopes of offering better care, nurses from a local hospital are hitting the picket line.

On Tuesday, nurses from CHI St. Alexius in Bismarck hosted what they call an informational picket.

They’re claiming that the directors of CHI have been unresponsive to the things that the nurses require to continue providing high-quality care, including lower nurse-to-patient ratios and higher wages, which they say are the main factors causing nurses to leave the field.

“We’re advocating for our community and for our fellow nurses,” said CHI Cardiac Catheterization Lab Team Lead Lacye Knudsen. “We’re all behind each other. Times have been rough, especially post-covid world with staffing being hard and difficult, and so we are here to advocate for our community.”

Picketers say they hope to increase the public’s awareness through Thursday’s event, and hopefully gain a safer working environment in the future.