I am proud to be a registered nurse. For more than 40 years, I have had the opportunity to promote the health of individuals, families and communities and to make a difference in their lives. I believe all nurses are leaders. It is through our collective voice and action that we support the sustainability of our health system and create communities where people have an opportunity to be healthy.
I have had the opportunity to work at a local, regional, provincial and national level. Currently, as the Scientific Director for the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health, our focus is on knowledge translation. Using collaborative methods, we get evidence about how to address the structural and social determinants of health and advance health equity in the hands of decision and policy makers. This is a critical area where nurses can and do play an important leadership role.
I believe that professional associations at local, provincial/territorial and national levels provide a valuable opportunity for nurses to advance nursing and the health of people living in Canada. Nurses involvement in nursing specialty groups, provincial/territorial nursing associations and the Canadian Nurses Association provides significant leadership opportunity and contributes to the voice of nurses being heard.