Alicia Pongracz always knew that she wanted to work in medicine. In an old family photo, Alicia is about four years old, with a little scrub cap on, taking her baby doll’s pulse. Connecting with and caring for people is a passion that she attributes to her dad, and it’s the reason she’s pursuing nursing. […]
Read MoreThis opinion article was originally published in iPolitics on October 15, 2025. Violence against health care workers is a crisis that can’t go on unchecked By Linda Silas, CFNU President Stabbings, assaults, weapons and drugs. None of these should have a place in health care facilities, but violence against nurses and health care professionals has […]
Read MoreToday, I want to reflect on what the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation asks of each of us. As the president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, I know it asks me to be humble, to uphold reconciliation and to pursue safety for Indigenous nurses and Indigenous patients in the health care system. […]
Read MoreA new era for workers – built on respect Nurses of today, just like the workers who have come before us, are shaping the future of our communities. Nursing as one of the largest professions in the country is on the forefront of this change. The expectation of the nursing profession has changed significantly in […]
Read MoreToday marks five years since March 11, 2020 – the day the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic. The day we questioned everything we knew and feared for ourselves and our loved ones. As nurses, we stepped up. And we demanded governments step up too. Never will we forget. Never will we ignore the […]
Read MoreDear members, I don’t know how about you, but I’ve had enough! 2025 – better watch out! At the beginning of 2024, the National Executive Board of the CFNU gave us a strong mandate: be election-ready. Keep nurses, nursing staffing and patient safety at the forefront of every policy discussion. Your insight is invaluable, making it […]
Read More2024 Labour Day message from CFNU President Linda Silas Labour Day always reminds me of the incredible power of workers organizing together and the incredible power we have as nurses. The labour movement started over a century ago during the industrial revolution when workers banded together to demand an end to exploitative working conditions. Later, […]
Read MoreThe 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 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 MoreFor me, Labour Day is always a reminder of how critically important health care workers are and the incredible respect nurses deserve. A respected job in nursing – one that makes you proud, pays your bills and helps you build your future – shouldn’t be too much to ask for. Indeed, when I first became […]
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