The following opinion editorial first appeared in iPolitics on July 4, 2024. Canada’s nurses unions push premiers on a bold vision for the future of public health care By Linda Silas Canada needs a bold vision for the future of our health care. Amidst an ongoing staffing crisis, the cracks in our public health care systems have […]
Read MoreSilas: We won’t let premiers forget that access to care relies on health care workers! July 9, 2024 (OTTAWA, ON) – As Canada’s premiers prepare to meet at the upcoming Council of the Federation next week, nurses unions are pressing provincial leaders to commit to a bold vision for public health care and ensure everyone […]
Read MoreThe New Brunswick Auditor-General’s report findings on the use of for-profit agencies reveal a critical lack of oversight in the province’s health care spending, underscoring the need for thorough investigations in every province and territory. “We cannot accept over $173 million of taxpayers’ money in New Brunswick being funneled into for-profit corporations with no oversight. […]
Read MoreAs nurses and health care professionals, members of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) continue to be alarmed by the situation in Gaza. Like many labour and humanitarian groups in Canada, we are deeply concerned about the dire situation in Gaza. The loss of life is estimated by local authorities to be at 35,000 […]
Read MoreYour nurses’ unions are raising the bar! Dear members, I know for too many, celebrating Nursing Week feels out of the question. It is hard to celebrate while working doubly hard, pushing your limits and caring for more and more patients without adequate support. Your strength is commendable, but I know you cannot continue to […]
Read MoreSilas: Federal leadership needed to make nursing jobs the best in our communities April 16, 2024 (Ottawa, ON) – Canada’s nurses are encouraged by the federal government’s commitments in Budget 2024 to invest in healthy communities, including a national school food program, housing initiatives and pushing forward pharmacare implementation. “Health is connected to every facet […]
Read MoreAn RN of more than 20 years, Dr. Leigh Chapman knows how powerful nurses’ work and leadership truly are. Now Canada’s Chief Nursing Officer, Dr. Chapman has long been a strong advocate for harm reduction and social justice. During the early years of COVID-19, she headed a new nursing program to support people experiencing homelessness with Inner […]
Read MoreSilas: Standards of care are needed to protect patients and residents. Canada’s nurses echo the concerns raised by the United Nurses of Alberta on new provincial continuing care regulations. “As many jurisdictions are moving towards models of nurse-patient ratios aimed at improving patient care and retaining nurses, what we seem to be seeing in Alberta […]
Read MoreSilas: Safe nurse-patient ratios critically needed to bring down the pressure and protect patient care March 14, 2024 (Ottawa, ON) – Persistent staffing shortages have left nurses bearing the crushing weight of overcapacity health care systems across the country. Nurses are chronically working without sufficient resources, with seven in 10 nurses reporting workplaces that are […]
Read MoreSilas: Together, we’ll make it clear, “L’union fait la force!” March 13, 2024 (Ottawa, ON) – “Nurses and health care workers across the world are working under dire conditions that compromise their own health and jeopardize patient safety. Quebec is no exception,” explained Linda Silas, President of the 250,000-member-strong Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU). […]
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