Nurses at Galway University Hospital's emergency department have voted unanimously in favour of industrial action.

It's the latest measure announced by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation in its ongoing protest against overcrowding.

The action will take the form of a work to rule and will begin on February 3rd - and more hospitals are due to hold their own ballots in the coming days.

Claire Treacy is the INMO's Industrial Relations Officer for the Galway region.

Last week, nurses at Dublin's Beaumont Hospital held a lunchtime protest.

The demonstration at the gates to the hospital was in protest at what the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) says are unsafe conditions for patients and staff due to continued overcrowding in the emergency department.

It comes ahead of industrial action on January 27th, when the nurses will stage a work-to-rule if there is no dramatic improvement to the overcrowding.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar has said that two extra beds should be placed on hospital wards as it was safer than having up to 40 people on trolleys in emergency departments.

However the INMO disagrees, and say it has already been proven not to work.

Speaking on The Right Hook here on Newstalk, Mr Varadkar admitted the situation could worsen in the next few weeks.

"The second week of January is usually the worst. In the third week of January the junior doctors change over and that makes it a very difficult time in hospitals...we probably have not seen the worst of it," he said.

He agreed with the assertion that the situation is "shameful".