From May 10-16, Canada will celebrate the efforts and achievements of the nurses across the country.
Established in 1985, this week is meant to raise awareness to the public, policy-makers and government about the contributions nurses make on a regular basis.
Over the past year, the roles that nurses play have been even more important with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Nurses in New Brunswick have continued to step up for New Brunswickers because that’s what we do best,” said The New Brunswick Nurses Union President Paula Doucet.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau praised the actions of nurses over the last year, calling them the “center of our Canadian health care systems.”
“Yet, despite all of the many challenges, our nurses have worked tirelessly to safeguard the health and well-being of all people and communities in Canada. Their compassion and strength have helped to guide us through this period,” said Trudeau in a message written to the public
This year the theme for National Nurses Week is #WeAnswerTheCall.
“We answer the call every day by showing up and taking care of our patients, residents and clients and trying to do the best we can with what we have in front of us. I think registered nurses and nurse practitioners have demonstrated their ability to do that for New Brunswickers especially, this last year going through a pandemic,” said Doucet, a registered nurse of 25 years.
In terms of expressing appreciation, Doucet suggests you start by thanking any nurses you know. More importantly, she asks that the public is there to support nurses when they need it, especially with demands they make to the government and employers. New Brunswick continues to face challenges of large nurse shortages.
