Nurses are under pressure at hospitals across the country due to staff shortages.
There are over 1,800 nursing staff vacancies nationwide.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation is expressing concern, as new figures from five regional hospital groups show 33 hospitals have a total of 1,839 full and part-time vacancies.
Today's Sunday Times reports there are 525 permanent and 192 temporary nursing and midwifery jobs unfilled in the Ireland East Hospital Group for September.
The Saolta University Hospital Group, which runs six hospitals has over 600 empty nursing and midwifery roles.
The Dublin Midlands Hospital Group has 161 vacant permanent posts and 221 unfilled temporary positions, while the Univrsity of Limerick Hospitals Group has 58 vacancies.
The INMO says the figures are worrying as its members are exhausted, and if things don't improve nurses and midwives might try and get work abroad.
