Quebec nurses have been complaining about being overworked, adding overtime has not been an option.
The Health minister said there are openings for full-time nurses' jobs, but the number of applications is falling short.
"We want to have full-time positions, that's what we offer and that's what we agreed upon, and nurses, for whatever reasons, and I understand there are a number of reasons, they're not taking those positions", Gaetan Barrette told CJAD 800's Aaron Rand.
Barrette, who admits imposing overtime is not right, added a negative climate by the nurses is preventing candidates from coming forward.
He stressed imposed overtime is the exception, and not the rule.
A health-care professionals' union took out ad which essentially says they can no longer provide safe care to Quebecers in the current conditions, that their members have reached their limit.
A video by a nurse from the Eastern Townships recently went viral.
Emilie Ricard, who cries during the message, says Barrette is wrong to say "the reform of the health care system has been a success."
She complains she was exhausted because of a lack of staff at the hospital where she works, suggesting she's often the only nurse caring for more than 70 patients at a time.