We Are Stronger Together

I entered nursing later in life. Throughout my ten years as a firefighter and first responder, I was eager to broaden my skill set and pursue further education. Then, while on the job, I had a severe injury that required multiple surgeries.

During this time, I was introduced to our healthcare system and its dedicated professionals. The emergency department staff, operating room nurses, surgeons, anesthesiologists and physiotherapists I came in contact with were personable, skilled and recognized the importance of working together as a team.

But what stood out, to me, was the true passion of the nurses I met. One, in particular, took the time to clearly and compassionately explain procedures, answer my questions and care for me, for which I felt especially appreciative and grateful. It was because of this experience that when I found myself considering a new career path, a role in nursing felt like the perfect fit.

We are facing an extremely difficult time in nursing. For three years, we persevered through a pandemic that is only now starting to wane. Workloads and pressures continue to rise and we have been subjected to unfair legislation preventing us from being paid fairly. Ongoing challenges continue to plague the healthcare system, from staffing shortages to nurse retention, compensation and RPNs being asked to work outside their scope of practice, making the road ahead seem daunting.

That’s why, more than ever, we must come together as nurses to create a strong, united front. We need to work together in the face of these challenges to effect change and rebuild pride in our profession.

WeRPN will continue to be there to raise the profile of RPNs and advocate on our behalf concerning key issues.

We need to reach out to our local representatives to share our concerns and help paint a picture of what it’s like to be a nurse right now. We must do everything we can to strengthen our collective voice as nurses.

Too often, we see nurses cutting each other down rather than building one another up. But whether we’re RPNs, RNs or NPs, we all have a common goal: to deliver health services to our patients. So I encourage you to find opportunities to lend a hand to your colleagues. Take the extra time to check in on how they’re doing. Think about mentoring newer nurses.

Let us stand together, help one another and focus on what inspired us to be part of this profession in the first place.

Only then can we regain our love for our profession while becoming much stronger and more unified. The more nurses support each other, the more powerful we will become as a profession.

Over the next two years, I look forward to representing Ontario RPNs and promise to do everything I can to advocate for you. Let’s make this the year we support one another and work together toward making our profession more powerful.

Let’s be proud of what we have accomplished throughout the pandemic and be stronger for “surviving” it. And as we pass the third anniversary of the World Health Organization having first declared COVID-19 a pandemic, let us pay tribute to those we tragically lost along the way.

Whatever challenges lie ahead in 2023, we will face and overcome them together.