A program that helps victims of sexual assault has lost more than a third of its staff. 

Earlier this week, four nurses from the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program at the Health Sciences Centre handed in their resignations. That list grew yesterday, with another two nurses stepping down. 

"The ethical weight of being unable to provide adequate care caused a mass resignation," said the Manitoba Nurses Union via a Tweet. "Pressure to silence these nurses, and limited improvements under the direction of a new manager who doesn’t even live in Maniotba, caused several of the original 14 nurses to take a step back."

Health Minister Audrey Gordon says six nurses have recently been hired and are in the process of getting trained.

"We listened to survivors and front-line healthcare workers, recognized the need for and implemented full-time 24/7 staff to address a program that was underfunded and mismanaged by the previous government," said Minister Gordon in a Tweet. "We commit to ensuring health system leadership follows through with government funding to ensure they resolve the situation and that the forensic nurse examiner program is fully staffed."

Shared Health says six nurses were hired earlier this year for permanent positions with the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program. They are expected to complete their training this summer.  

"My heart is broken. I'm tossing and turning all night, trying to figure out how to guide and nurture all the new nurses... this isn't the future they need. We need to heal the healers," said the Manitoba Nurses Union via a tweet. "Years ago, even as a seasoned nurse, Brian Sinclair's death almost broke me. WE NEED HELP!!!"