NSW Nurses and Midwives Association members deliver letters detailing staff shortages to Wagga MP Joe McGirr

Members of the NSW nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) met with Dr McGirr on Tuesday to pass on more than 40 letters from members outlining current working conditions for nurses and midwives.

One letter from a nurse who moved from Queensland said the disparity between the states was unacceptable and "dangerous".

"I am shocked and appalled at the working conditions of NSW nurses. We are paid far less money than Queensland nurses, only to work much harder due to our lack of ratios and severe under-staffing," they wrote.

"I have unfortunately had to lower my standard of care delivery just to stay afloat in our busy health system. This is not fair for patients or staff."

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Another nurse wrote she was nervous for her family and friends should they ever be admitted to hospital.

"I know that [patients] are getting the bare minimum care from nurses that are giving so much," the letter read.

"In conditions that should not exist in Australia."

NSWNMA Wagga delegate Natalie Ellis said some of the experiences written about in the letters were "appalling".

"I think the sentence that captured it all was 'I've had to lower my standard of care to keep afloat'," she said.

"I think that's appalling."

The letters are the latest attempt by NSWNMA members to advocate for the public health system to adopt nursing ratios, ensuring a nurse to every four patients in wards, and one for every three in emergency departments.

In intensive care and birthing units, the union is advocating for a nurse for each patient.

Dr McGirr said there was "a strong argument" for shifting to nurse-to-patient ratios.

"I think there's some good evidence from Queensland that ratios do improve patient care, and I actually think when you get improved patient care, you actually save money," he said.

"[The nurses] want to do the best job possible, and they're quite distressed that they can't."

Ms Ellis said they would continue to campaign following on from no action after their fourth statewide strike in November.

"We just thought we would keep the campaign going," she said. "Some really wrote quite an impassioned story about what they can't keep doing it."

Dr McGirr said he is in the process of forwarding the letters to the relevant government ministers.

"I'll forward them to the minister advocating for ratios again, and then take it up with the new government," he said.

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