Members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation will engage in a work-to-rule at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda today.

Staff at the hospital say that the action is in response to the staffing shortages that exist at the facility.

The INMO's Tony Fitzpatrick said it's vital that the Government and the HSE address staffing shortages as they "impede patient care".

"They need to recruit all the graduates that qualify in August or September this year," he added.

Yesterday, the HSE confirmed that 144 nursing posts in Emergency Departments across the country will be filled in the coming months.

However, Fitzpatrick warned there is a significant problem with staff leaving the service and going to the private sector or overseas, and that nurses won't stay here unless they are offered better packages.

He said the NHS are a big recruiter of Irish nurses due to "more attractive recruitment packages, better terms and conditions of employment, and better career pathways".