The New Brunswick Nurses Union launched a new campaign Tuesday focused on repairing the broken health care system.

President Paula Doucet said ideas put forward by nurses have been largely ignored for decades.

“Not listening to the nurses that are actually on the front line with some of the ideas they may have had to help shape the delivery of health care in this province over the years,” Doucet said.

The campaign aims to show that health care can be put back together with the understanding it will never look the same as it was before the nursing shortage, lack of health human resources, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Doucet noted the impact of moving from a two-year diploma program back in the late 90s to a four-year baccalaureate for registered nurses.

“That started the downslide of the number of registered nurses entering our program as far as licensed practical nurses education goes,” Doucet said.

She said it’s only been in recent years that more campuses are offering that at the community colleges.

“Everything has been left to scramble. If planning had been put in place, we could have mitigated what we are now faced with,” Doucet said.

Doucet said nurses are willing to pick up the pieces, but they need help.

One vignette in the Picking Up the Pieces campaign features licensed practical nurse Matthew Brocke.

“I’ve had many friends leave the profession entirely, they can’t take it, they are burnt out,” Brocke said.

He wants New Brunswick’s political leaders to spend a shift with a nurse.

“See what it’s like to be in our shoes just for an eight-hour shift,” Brocke said.

New Brunswickers will see ads for the new campaign on TV, social media, bus shelters and billboards.