Nurses have shown great resilience, but our cups need to be refilled. We must be taken care of and valued for the work we do.

The COVID-19 pandemic has really caused us all to take pause and evaluate what we have in this life. Appreciating the small things and seeking out personal purpose can help calm the anxiety that can feel so overwhelming in these very challenging times.

BCNU members who take care of our vulnerable elderly have shown remarkable resilience and determination by supporting British Columbians through this once-in-a-lifetime set of tragic circumstances.

BC’s seniors’ care sector is broken. The devastation of COVID-19 has exposed the dire need for major reforms, improved standards of care and real accountability. Nurses’ voices are more important than ever as we push to shape the seniors’ care landscape for the future.

For workers in this female-dominated profession, the pandemic has also brought longstanding concerns about gender pay equity and access to secure retirement income to the forefront. I’m proud to report that this year BCNU completed the negotiated Nurses’ Bargaining Association pension governance review, and members will be able to cast their vote to determine how nurses’ pensions are governed into the future. Statistics show that pension plan members have a longer overall life expectancy, and I’m hopeful we are now one step closer to setting up the framework we need to improve nurses’ pension plans.

Member outreach and education have always fueled my passion as a leader and an advocate. Not being able to connect with members in person during this pandemic and hear your voices has led to some of the toughest months I’ve experienced as a leader.

Despite the difficulties that come with virtual communication, we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback on our shift to online pension education. This unplanned change means we’ve been able to reach more members province wide via virtual workshops they can attend from the comfort of their own homes.

I so look forward to meeting members across the province in person again and hearing about your priorities as we head into what could be one of the most challenging rounds of collective bargaining we have seen.

Now is the time for BCNU members to come together and continue working to build a more inclusive union where every member’s voice counts, and every member has the opportunity to participate. With all hands on deck, we can accomplish the much-needed change and innovation that nurses deserve!

Organizations are most resilient when the people within them come together and support each other in difficult times.

I know BCNU members are strong, and my focus is making sure our union is financially strong, and in a position to support you today and into the future.

These are challenging times. There’s no question the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and opioid crisis, along with an unprecedented nursing shortage, is making our members’ working conditions increasingly unsustainable. We must demand more from our government.

During the past year and a half, I have been focused on maintaining my relationship with members through virtual connections. I’ll confess that Zoom meetings don’t compare to the face-to-face interactions we enjoyed before COVID, but it’s imperative that I continue to understand the needs of our members as they respond to the challenges that confront them.

As provincial treasurer, providing funding for ongoing education to BCNU leaders and members is a critical priority for me. This year we’ve continued to promote important educational initiatives and opportunities. This includes the introduction of blended learning, with online resources now available to all members at all times and opening up new options for self-paced and remote learning.

This year I have overseen many technological changes related to union finances. We continue to expand and upgrade our internal systems to support our growing organizational needs and ensure we are optimizing processes for members. A great example of this work was seen in our 2021 college registration fee reimbursement process that was more efficient and convenient than last year and got money back into the pockets of our members faster.

Building and maintaining our essential defence fund balance has also been critical as we prepare for focused bargaining in 2022. The current workplace challenges nurses face has further motivated me to ensure we have a strong strike fund if we need it. Members can rest assured that our defence fund provides us with the much-needed comfort of knowing that we are ready for whatever action members decide to take throughout negotiations.

Nurses are professionals; we are change leaders with essential knowledge, and I’m committed to supporting you in doing what’s necessary to collectively accomplish our goals.

We must unite to face our challenges together. What makes this union strong is our essential belief that we are all sisters and brothers and that we are all connected through our passion and dedication to our profession. If a nurse is physically harmed by a patient, that matters to all of us. If you are working a 16-hour shift, caring for families while missing your own child’s birthday, we are all concerned.

There are some who would have you believe there is a “them” union and an “us” union. But I strongly believe we are one union – our union, the British Columbia Nurses’ Union working together to make this the best union for all members.

The ability to withstand shock and recover from misfortune does not happen by accident. It’s a skill that is developed and honed during the course of a nurse’s professional practice.

Every day, BCNU members continue to withstand ongoing hardships as they confront the greatest public health crisis in a generation. It has not been easy, and no one could have foreseen just how deeply this health emergency would affect members’ personal and professional lives.

There is no question the COVID-19 pandemic has turned our lives upside down. But even before the outbreak, the nursing profession was fraught with physical and psychological hazards, and our members were routinely exposed to trauma, violence and human suffering on a daily basis.

The ability to withstand this crisis is a testament to nurses’ resilience. Our members continue to adapt in the face of uncertainty, and we have done so because we have stood together. What better demonstration of workers’ resilience than unions? Nurses have strength in numbers and when united in their purpose they have weathered the effects of adversity in ways that could never be realized by acting alone.

Now, as the pandemic nears the end of its second year, nurses are still working short-staffed and under extreme pressure, all while strategizing on how to deliver health care to vulnerable populations and advocating for health system reform. I want to thank each and every one of you for your unwavering courage and resilience in troubled times, for showing up for your patients, no matter how sick, and for reassuring those sad and alone. Each life that you preserve is an irreplaceable treasure.

The work that BCNU has undertaken with our research partners at UBC has revealed the additional psychological toll the pandemic has taken on nurses’ mental health. So, I am proud to have seen the launch of a number of mental health initiatives for members this year, including new resiliency education options that are trauma-informed and mindful of our diverse histories.

This is just the beginning of BCNU’s renewed mental health strategy. We cannot allow this pandemic to mask the true cost of nursing, and we refuse to see an entire generation of nurses sacrificed to burnout, vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue. I want you to know that all members are cared for and will be supported by their union.

The resilience of BCNU’s Indigenous members must also be acknowledged this year as they confront the ongoing trauma of racism and colonial violence The devastating discovery this summer of a mass burial site on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, and the tragic news of the remains of 215 children reminds us all of the painful legacy of Canada’s residential schools and of the countless Indigenous children forever lost to their families as a result.

The December 2020 report from Dr. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond also shone a light on systemic racism in BC’s health-care system and underscored the desperate need for radical change. It also advances a set of recommendations for addressing anti-Indigenous racism founded on the principles of decolonization and cultural safety, and it offers a blueprint for a more just and equitable health-care system. Inclusivity leads to resilience. As union members and health-care leaders, it’s our job to advance these principles in our workplaces and in our own organization to ensure we build an inclusive future where everyone feels they belong.

This year is my last as BCNU president. As I look back on my years of union activism, I have nothing but gratitude for the support I’ve received from members and staff over the years. And I credit the collective efforts of leaders past and present for an impressive history of successes.

Our union passed a special milestone this summer. Forty years ago, a group of some 200 activists gathered in Victoria to tackle the problems facing nurses of their day. We should commend the resiliency and foresight of these early organizers in building a union that supports nurses and advocates for health-system change.

Their legacy lives on. Over the past two years, BCNU activists have worked tirelessly to build a member-centric organization with a board grounded in good governance and solid values. I am incredibly proud of the work done by your board and our staff to keep building in the midst of a pandemic and improve our service delivery and outreach to our members.

It has been an honour to lead this amazing organization. And as I pass the mantle to others, I am reminded of the collective efforts of all the great BCNU leaders who served before me. It is because of their work that we have the potential to improve nurses’ working lives and the lives of our patients.

The time has come for you to build on this work. The lessons from the pandemic must be seen as an opportunity to effect positive, lasting change. Learn from these experiences and help make BCNU the best union it can be.

I’m someone who’s used to speaking with co-workers all shift long while doing my rounds as a site leader.

So, when COVID-19 hit, I certainly missed friends and colleagues as I worked at home by myself. It was a lonely time. And like so many of you, I have since been worried and concerned for the well-being of our colleagues and the wider community.

I want to acknowledge the enormous challenges BCNU members have faced over the past 20 months. However, I also believe it’s important to look for silver linings. It’s always possible for good things to come from hardship.

Last year, my elderly mother was part of my family bubble of three. I came to cherish every moment that I spent with her, and I reflected on the importance of helping all the seniors in our communities who’ve been shuttered at home for protection from the virus.

I also became more concerned for my mother’s mental health. She was isolated from many of her loved ones, was no longer going out shopping and was missing important life milestones such as births, birthdays and funerals. I did my best to keep her spirits up with scenic drives or an occasional socially distanced outdoor visit with relatives.

The theme of BCNU’s 2021 convention, and this annual report, is “Resilient Together.” Much of our resilience comes from being able to appreciate the things in life we normally take for granted. The pandemic has certainly been a lesson in appreciation as we counted the days since we last saw family and friends, hugged, shared space or enjoyed meals together.

Like so many BCNU members, I miss travelling abroad and visiting friends and family around the world. I dream of where I will go next and when I will see everyone again. I miss the birthday celebrations now turned into drive-by gift drop-off events or the holiday gatherings with friends that now take place over Zoom.

The world of Zoom has also blurred the boundary between our home and work lives. We’ve seen increased productivity without our daily drive to the office and challenges too as turning off our work while at home has become that much more difficult.

That’s why maintaining our mental health and taking time for ourselves is so important.

At times I’ve been asked if a certain task or something taking place bothers me. How we respond to situations is all about perspective. I opt to remain calm, think or ponder and look for solutions. I’ve learned to look for the best in the situations I face. I’ve reflected on what I’ve been through in life, and having lived that life, I know I’m strong and able to take on new challenges because of my past experiences.

I also know that everything I do has a wider impact on those around me and helps bring us all one step closer to coming out of this pandemic sooner, and for the better.

When I think about resilience, I think about my own life experiences and the many “loops and hoops” I had to jump through to get where I am today.

I grew up in a misogynistic and patriarchal society where women were devalued, and where psychological and physical punishment was the norm if we dared speak out. Making direct eye contact was considered disrespectful, and to this day I have difficulty looking people in the eye.

Men had an opinion on my life and career choices because I was a woman, and as a young adult, I had to listen to my father tell me I could not be an anesthetist, the profession I chose to pursue without his support.

When I came to Canada, I studied English and applied to a nursing program. The transition from one country to another did not come without challenges. I was diagnosed with depression from the culture shock and I later suffered from post-partum depression.

These are just a few of the loops and hoops I have jumped through.

My lived experience also means I cannot tolerate my nurse colleagues being disrespected and devalued by health employers or the government, just for being members of a female-dominated profession. The PTSD I experience following the abuse I endured earlier in life also drives my commitment to stopping bullying and harassment that is still far too common in health-care workplaces.

During my interview for the Douglas College BScN program, I was asked, “How do you deal with stress?” I remember answering, “I cry, and I talk to my friends or someone I can trust.” At that moment, I thought I had screwed up my interview, but somehow, that was the right answer.

Taking care of our physical and mental health, practising mindfulness, journaling, doing yoga, and engaging in outdoor activities are some of the things nurses can do to deal with the stress of today’s health-care workplace.

This year BCNU introduced Embodying your Practice resilience education to give members more tools to manage the stress they are feeling. Our introductory course is designed to help participants experience calm and a sense of settledness in their bodies to help sustain them in these most challenging of times.

This resilience education is just the first phase in the reactivation of BCNU’s mental health strategy, and I look forward to providing more mental health support and advocacy for our members in the year ahead.

When I became an RN, I had many “bad days.” I would cry in the shower, and I would vent with my friends. I know many nurse colleagues who cry in their cars at the end of a shift, just to relieve some of the stress of a bad day.

And there are far too many bad days as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis, mask and vaccine mandates, forced redeployments and a nurse staffing crisis that is pushing nurses to the breaking point.

That’s why building connections is so important. We all need friends we can confide in and with whom we can share support. I value the support of trusting friends who practise attentive listening, offer authentic and heartfelt advice, help me validate my feelings and beliefs, and encourage me to keep on.

The truth is, if it weren’t for my mom and my closest friends, I wouldn’t be where I am today. They have all helped me be resilient and strong by listening and offering advice. And their care encourages me to believe in and value myself so I can fight for my rights and advocate for yours.