I'm very much in favor of mandatory minimum ratios. The United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) has advanced this concept as a major proposal. I feel that legislated ratios, such as those introduced in California and proposed in Massachusetts, are inferior to the kind of negotiated ratios being proposed here in Alberta. I take issue with the criticism that mandatory ratios fail to take into account variations in acuity and other factors. Such ratios, whether legislated or negotiated, are minimums, below which an employer can't go but with room to staff up if indicated. I also feel strongly that staffing ratios could go a long way to address issues of overwork, frustration, and burnout that are contributing to the nursing shortage.