Nurses marched through the Capital City on Thursday demanding change in their work environment.
They’re asking for fair wages, safer workplaces, and no more discrimination against nurses.
Nurses from all over the country picked up signs and marched as part of the Million Nurse March. About a hundred nurses gathered in downtown Springfield to take part.
Their goal is to raise awareness about unfair wages, unsafe staffing ratios, and violence against healthcare workers.
"By 2026 which is four years from now it's estimated that 3.2 million health care workers will be needed but they are leaving healthcare altogether because of unsafe conditions unfair wages and they're just tired of being beaten down every day," said a local high school teacher.
The nurses also used the march to bring attention to two bills currently working their way through the U.S. capitol to address these issues.