ARNBC is pleased to extend our warmest greetings to all nurses in B.C. and across the country as we celebrate the achievements of our profession during National Nursing Week 2013. This year’s theme, Nursing: A Leading Force for Change, reminds us that when nurses work together to provide innovative solutions, we can dramatically improve the quality of health care locally, provincially and nationally.
ARNBC has been working hard to raise the voice of nursing with government and partners in B.C. and across Canada. We have met with the Minister of Health and other key government leaders to share our ideas about how to strengthen primary care services in B.C., increase collaboration between health professions and reform some of the tools we need and use on a regular basis such as best practice guidelines. We look forward to continuing to bring the voice of B.C. nurses forward at policy tables and with stakeholders in the months and years to come.
To assist nurses in speaking up for health and health care during the provincial election campaign, ARNBC has compiled resources for nurses to use during the campaign. As part of this innovative Online Toolkit, we have added new Issues Notes on Rural Health and Mental Health with background information and sample questions to pose to candidates during All Candidates’ Meetings in your communities.
As your professional association, ARNBC has been engaged in exciting initiatives during the past few months. We were pleased to collaborate with the BC Nurse Practitioner Association and the Licensed Practical Nurses Association of B.C. to propose significant changes to primary care through the development of an interprofessional council of health professions to oversee these needed changes. Recently ARNBC, BCNU and CRNBC developed a joint statement on the need for a Provincial Nursing Plan. We are revitalizing a network of professional practice groups in the province and providing opportunities for local groups of nurses and others to link and network together through our new Network Leads Project. We continue to work with the Canadian Nurses Association to strengthen the voice of nursing in Canada, and were proud to co-lead their Nurse Practitioner campaign in B.C. in 2012 and to bring a B.C. nursing perspective to the CNA Board of Directors.
On June 26, 2013, we will be holding our second Annual General Meeting at the Paetzold Auditorium at Vancouver General Hospital. All B.C. registered nurses, as well as students and retired RNs, are welcome to attend. And if you can’t be in Vancouver on June 26, rest assured that we will make sure you can participate via webcast. We look forward to seeing many of you there. To register for the AGM, and to sign up to vote in the Board election, please visit our AGM Page where you will find registration forms and a call for nominations for four Board positions.
Our social media platforms continue to thrive. We are always interested in hearing from nurses who have a passion and want to share their opinion on a current public policy or advocacy issue by writing a post for our blog. Feel free to comment here to tell us what you and your colleagues are doing for Nursing Week and how you’ve been involved in raising health issues during the provincial election campaign.
It is a busy time for the nursing profession in British Columbia, and we are proud to be raising our collective voice in support of important changes to our healthcare system. We are continuously reminded of how insightful, knowledgeable and passionate nurses are about providing quality, patient-centred health care. You do an amazing job, each and every day, and we are so proud to support you in all of your efforts as a leading force for change.
Happy Nursing Week 2013!
ABOUT ARNBC
The Association of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (ARNBC) is a professional organization that provides a unified voice for registered nurses and nurse practitioners in the development of health, nursing and public policy that advances the health of British Columbians.
We welcome comments on this or any other blogpost!
Thank you for the email regarding what the ARNBC is about. I am reluctant to want to be apart of this association simply because you are not following your own mandate with respect to:
1. ensuring nurses are active partners in policy making and have influence on organizational directions;
2.re-establish a unified voice on behalf of the profession
as outlined in your email to members of the CRNBC.
This was most thoroughly demonstrated when the ARNBC took its position on the influenza vaccine without consulting, polling, or speaking with nurses affected by the new policy that was trying to be established in this province by the health authorities.