Nurses' Voices: Recent Episodes
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Nurses’ Voices is a unique new video and audio series that will amplify the voices of nurses to help them adapt and excel within these changing and uncertain times. Hosted by Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler, Nurses’ Voices will feature conversations with a diverse group of Canadian nurses from a variety of workplaces. Nurses’ Voices is generously supported by the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Canadian Nurses Association.
In our final episode of Nurses' Voices Season Three, we speak with Angela Wignall about the impact of COVID-19 as well as the current context of care on the health human resources crisis and the urgency of investing in quality practice environments as a critical priority for health system transformation. Trauma-informed leadership is one framework that can support leaders in designing resilient systems where nurses and others in health care thrive. Through the principles of safety, trustworthiness, peer support, mutuality, empowering voice and choice, and cultural and historical factors, trauma-informed leadership aims to centre the humans who care for humans in reimagining the future of health care in Canada.
This episode focuses on how one organization is attempting to reduce documentation burden to prevent nurses’ burnout by identifying redundant or double documentation required to be completed by nurses. The goal is to reduce nurse’s workload related to documentation and information retrieval in Electronic Health Records (EHR), so that they can have more opportunities for therapeutic engagement with clients and feel less burdened by EHR. Thanks to this innovation, the time spent on issues that aren't directly related to care decreases, empowering nurses and their clinical practice to succeed.
This episode highlights the Sharing Circle, a website that was developed with the aim to improve accessibility and healthcare for Indigenous people by the Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada (NSWOCC) Indigenous Wound, Ostomy and Continence Health Core Program. This website is dedicated to helping patients, NSWOCs, and other healthcare professionals across Canada access a directory of resources (general and province and territory specific), education, training, and support related to Indigenous wound, ostomy and continence health.
This episode also highlights nurses who take on volunteer roles and lead health initiatives that they are passionate about.
This episode profiles nurse innovation in closing the system gap to facilitate discharges of patients on weekends to enable the right patient, right place, right care philosophy. This quality improvement initiative focused on improved multidisciplinary communication, resource utilisation and both staff and patient wellbeing. The health human resources crisis and capacity challenges in the health care system requires us to look at our challenges through a different lens, so instead of strategizing alone on attracting additions to the workforce, we as a team designed a process to reduce the capacity and therefore the workload of the team. The aim was to specifically highlight was that, with a seven day week focus we can improve discharge rates on weekends and enhance flow principles at a tertiary care hospital.
This episode highlights the L'nu Nursing Initiative (L'nu means Indigenous in the Mi'kmaw (Mi'kmaq is plural) language). The L'nu Nursing Initiative was created by the Nova Scotia Canadian Institute of Health Research Chair in Indigenous Health Nursing, Dr. Margot Latimer in collaboration with the Mi’kmaq communities in NS. As the L’nu Lead for the provincial Chair, Dawn Googoo’s role is to gather evidence that best supports Indigenous People to access culturally safe nursing education and transition to health care practice. Dawn engages with Indigenous students to support them through the nursing program and help them build pride in their future roles. The initiative also involves building capacity through collaboration with Mi'kmaq communities, educational institutions, provincial/federal governments, national organizations to create meaningful change that will continue to provide a safe and nurturing nursing learning and practice environment for Indigenous peoples.
Welcome to the premiere episode of Nurses' Voices, Season Three: Change is Possible! This episode profiles Central Ontario’s first college standalone nursing degree program and the approaches taken for innovative curriculum design that actively engaged health care partners and subject matter experts. The aim was to ensure the curriculum met the needs of the community and that the nursing degree program closed the academic – practice gap, ultimately creating future nurses that are practice ready!
In our Season Two finale of Nurses' Voices, join hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler for an honest and personal conversation with Michael J. Villeneuve, RN, MSc, FAAN, who retired in May 2022 as the Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA).
Michael reflects on his 44-year career in nursing, sharing how he started out as an orderly and progressed to become CEOof CNA, with many unique roles along the way. Michael discusses the personally challenging choices he made which took his career down paths he never would have thought possible, what he’s learned during his many years in the profession, and his thoughts on how to ensure a viable and sustainable nursing future.
Resources:
- ‘No regrets’: former CNA CEO reflects on a life in nursing (Canadian Nurse)
- Toward 2020: Visions for Nursing (Canadian Nurses Association)
- The Passion and Compassion of Long-Term Care with Bahar Karimi and Sarah McNally (Nurses' Voices)
- Advocating for Harm Reduction with Leigh Chapman (Nurses' Voices)
Thank you for enjoying Season Two of Nurses’ Voices! We wish to thank Pfizer Canada for their sponsorship of this season, to the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Canadian Nurses Association for their ongoing support, to all our guests, whose stories we have been honoured to share and to everyone who helped make the past two season a success. Finally, thank you to all our viewers – we hope you enjoyed the stories of some remarkable nurses across Canada this season. Please share Nurses’ Voices with friends and colleagues, and stay tuned for news about Season Three.
In our newest episode of Nurses' Voices, Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler have a thoughtful discussion with Irene Andress, MN, VP, Programs and Services, Chief Nursing Executive at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto, Ontario.
Irene discusses her current role in nursing leadership at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and how she is able to influence change at the point of care. By being visible, accessible, creative, and innovative, Irene discusses how she is able to open doors and remove barriers in order to improve patient care and address the ongoing staffing crisis in nursing.
We wish to thank Pfizer Canada for their sponsorship of Season Two of Nurses' Voices, and to the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Canadian Nurses Association for their ongoing support.
Join Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler in an engaging conversation with Karen Lake, RN, BN, Caregiving Consultant and Care Navigator in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
After a 25 year career as a Registered Nurse in various roles including her last role as a manager in home health care, Karen launched her own caregiving consultancy focused on helping people navigate the complex issues of caring for aging loved ones. Karen tells us how she reinvented herself as a business owner and establish a second career after a challenging end to her management position. Karen shares insights about becoming a business owner and lessons she’s learned being an entrepreneur while embracing a more fulfilling career path.
Resources:
- Karen Lake - Caregiving Consultant
- The Founder's Journey - Free course for new entrepreneurs that guides participants from early ideation to opportunity development, with insights on how to nurture and grow a new business.
We wish to thank Pfizer Canada for their sponsorship of Season Two of Nurses' Voices, and to the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Canadian Nurses Association for their ongoing support.
In our latest episode of Nurses’ Voices, join hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler for an enlightening discussion with Clinton Baretta NP, BScN, MSc (Bristol), Executive Director at Homeless Health Peel and Felicia Kontopidis RN, BScN, Director of Care at Journey Home Hospice.
Clinton and Felicia are what we would call nurse innovators, nurses who find creative approaches to providing nursing care. They each have their own unique and compelling stories that have brought them to their current roles, caring and advocating for individuals who are homeless. They explain the nurse led services and programs at Homeless Health Peel and Journey Home Hospice and how they and their staff strive to support very vulnerable populations.
Resources:
- Homeless Health Peel
- Journey Home Hospice
We wish to thank Pfizer Canada for their sponsorship of Season Two of Nurses' Voices, and to the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Canadian Nurses Association for their ongoing support.
In our latest episode of Nurses’ Voices, join Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler as they have an honest and personal conversation with Leigh Chapman, RN, PhD, Adjunct Lecturer, Graduate Program at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto.
Leigh shares the story of her brother Brad, who died of a drug overdose and homeless at the age of 43. After this, Leigh became an advocate for harm reduction amongst those experiencing homelessness, in order to reduce stigma and discrimination and increase care. Her journey has been challenging both personally and professionally, and sharing this story will hopefully encourage other nurses to help with meaningful causes that are important to them.
We would like acknowledge National Nursing Week 2022, taking place from May 9th - 15th. We are extremely thankful for all that nurses do, this week and every week!
We wish to thank Pfizer Canada for their sponsorship of Season Two of Nurses' Voices, and to the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Canadian Nurses Association for their ongoing support.
Join hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler for a lively conversation with Jane Kraut, RN, BN, BA,a Graduate Student at the College of Nursing at the University of Manitoba.
In this episode Jane discusses what brought her to the nursing profession as a second career, after working in the business world for a number of years. Jane opens up about what drove her to pursue nursing in her 30s, successfully juggling the responsibilities of parenthood with going back to school to head down a new career path.
We wish to thank Pfizer Canada for their sponsorship of Season Two of Nurses' Voices, and to the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Canadian Nurses Association for their ongoing support.
In our newest episode of Nurses’ Voices, join hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler for a conversation with Kenely Lamsen RN and Anne Marie Shin RN, MN, MSc (QIPS) about the challenges that Kenely and other Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) face in becoming registered in Ontario.
Watch and listen as Kenely describes her journey to Canada and the steps she’s undertaken towards registration in Ontario, completing clinical hours through the Hamilton Health Sciences – IEN Integration Nursing Evidence of Practice Pilot project. Anne Marie Shin, Director of Professional Practice at the College of Nurses of Ontario, shares steps the College is taking towards improving the processes to assist IENs in their goal of becoming registered.
As an update, since the taping of this episode Kenely has become a Registered Nurse. Congratulations Kenely.
Resources:
- Information on the College of Nurses of Ontario New Language Proficiency Policy and Program To Obtain Evidence Of Practice
- Hamilton Health Sciences’ Internationally Educated Nurse Program
We wish to thank Pfizer Canada for their sponsorship of Season Two of Nurses' Voices, and to the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Canadian Nurses Association for their ongoing support.
Join hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler for an honest and candid discussion with Adigo Angela Achoba-Omajali, RN, BScN, MN and Janice John-Mitchell, RN, BA, MBA about racism in nursing and healthcare.
Watch and listen as Angela and Janice describe their own lived experiences facing racism in the healthcare system, and the impact of this racism on themselves and their families. Angela and Janice are active in addressing racism in healthcare, and share important insights on the systemic presence of racism, and the education and actions that need to be taken to overcome these significant challenges.
We wish to thank Pfizer Canada for their sponsorship of Season Two of Nurses' Voices, and to the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Canadian Nurses Association for their ongoing support.
Join hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler for a compelling conversation with Athanasius "Tanas" Sylliboy BScN, MN, NP, ENC©, of Eskasoni First Nation, is a Mi’kmaw Primary Care Nurse Practitioner in Millbrook, Nova Scotia.
Watch and listen as Tanas discusses his practice of Indigenous health and healing, and how racism persists in the healthcare system and stands in the way of equitable access to care amongst racialized communities. As Tanas so eloquently told us, “all individuals are worthy of care, yet there is still much work to be done to ensure access without discrimination. As such, we have a responsibility to bring more voices to the table in order to advocate for and achieve meaningful change."
Critical resources:
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation: https://nctr.ca
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada - Calls to Action: https://ehprnh2mwo3.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
The Survivors Speak - A Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: https://ehprnh2mwo3.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Survivors_Speak_English_Web.pdf
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf
We wish to thank Pfizer Canada for their sponsorship of Season Two of Nurses' Voices, and to the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Canadian Nurses Association for their ongoing support.
Join hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler for an inspiring conversation with Vicky Sharma-Vermani, RN, BScN, MScN, MHM, Patient Care Manager and Kristen Vila, RN, BN,Coordinating Nurse who both work at Trillium Health Partners, Credit Valley site, in Mississauga, Ontario.
Watch and listen as Vicky and Kristen describe their experiences on the ground at a very busy medical unit. Vicky and Kristen explain how throughout the challenging times of COVID-19, their unit continues to foster positive teamwork and support systems which allows for high quality nursing care, opportunities for growth and development for staff, and a positive and joyful work environment.
We wish to thank Pfizer Canada for their sponsorship of Season Two of Nurses' Voices, and to the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Canadian Nurses Association for their ongoing support.
Join hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeleras they talk with Rani Srivastava, RN, PhD, FCAN, Dean, School of Nursing at Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, B.C., Adjunct Professor School of Nursing at York University, Toronto, Ontario, and Adjunct Professor School of Nursing at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Watch and listen as Rani discusses with Gail and Mary the state of nursing education in Canada and its potential for the future. The country needs nurses, and people want to become nurses, but challenges remain to provide well funded quality education , with qualified faculty and sufficient supports to students. Hear Rani’s thoughts on what needs to change to attract and maintain nursing students and nurses in practice through attention to diversity , inclusion and innovation and her hopes for the future.
We wish to thank Pfizer Canada for their sponsorship of Season Two of Nurses' Voices, and to the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Canadian Nurses Association for their ongoing support.
Welcome to Season Two of Nurses’ Voices!
In the first episode of our new season, join hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler as they talk with Dr. Gail Tomblin Murphy, Vice-President, Research, Innovation & Discovery and Chief Nurse Executive at Nova Scotia Health and Director of the PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre on Health Workforce Planning & Research at Dalhousie University.
Watch and listen as they speak with Gail about the ongoing nursing staffing and human resource challenges in Canada, where up to 30% of the nursing workforce is out due to COVID-19. There is burnout and moral distress amongst nurses, and the situation is dire. However, there is also optimism that with the right strategies and investments, we have an opportunity to address nursing staffing issues, retain nurses and improve care delivery in Canada.
We wish to thank Pfizer Canada for their sponsorship of Season Two of Nurses’ Voices, and to the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Canadian Nurses Association for their ongoing support.
In our final episode of season one of Nurses’ Voices, join hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler as they talk with Rebecca Gustafson, a current nursing student and Czarielle Dela Cruz, a recent nursing graduate, both from Ryerson University.
Watch and listen as Rebecca provides an extremely honest look into what it has been like to be a nursing student during the upheaval of COVID-19. And, learn how recent nursing graduate Czarielle has navigated the pandemic at the onset of her career at the bedside. In both their situations, their resiliency and love of the nursing profession has kept them going strong. Watch and listen to their stories now.
We sincerely thank you for being a part of season one of Nurses’ Voices, where we’ve spoken with 24 incredible nurses. And we’re excited to announce that we’re going to be back for season two! Be sure to sign up for our newsletter and you’ll be the first to know when we will be hearing other compelling Nurses’ Voices.
Nurses see patients at some of the most challenging times of their lives. But nurses can also experience their own struggles, at which point their own self-care and wellness need to take priority.
In this emotional and inspirational episode, hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler speak with Katrina Stephenson and Sarah Bohachyk about the mental health struggles that nurses themselves face.
Katrina and Sarah describe their own personal struggles with mental health injuries, and how their trauma has affected their personal and professional lives over the past number of years. They openly share their personal experiences, and what they have done to overcome their challenges. As co-founders of Nurse 2 Nurse Peer Support, Katrina and Sarah are ensuring that their experiences can empower and educate other nurses. Watch and listen to their stories now.
We are very thankful to the Mental Health Commission of Canada for their generous sponsorship of this episode.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has been grabbing the spotlight for the past 18 months, but the struggles that vulnerable populations have with mental health continue to persist.
In this special episode hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler have a stigma-breaking conversation with Bonita Fanzega and Catherine Flynn about mental health nursing amongst marginalized communities.
Bonita and Catherine speak openly and honestly about working with vulnerable populations in their home communities of Winnipeg and Vancouver, their daily challenges, how they support their clients, and how they take care of themselves while shining an important spotlight on the resilience of the individuals they work with. Listen to their stories now.
Nursing in Canada’s North involves overcoming many challenges every day, including staffing, access, equipment, transportation and weather, to name just a few. But there is an incredibly strong sense of community here, and residents who call the North home go to great lengths to overcome nature’s obstacles to keep one another safe.
In this episode, hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler have an enlightening conversation with Dianne Iyago, Public Health Nurse in Baker Lake, Nunavut and Betty Strbac, Community Health Nurse in Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories.
Hear as Dianne and Betty discuss the trust that needs to be built as a nurse in the North, how they have dealt with COVID-19, and how nursing is both challenging and rewarding in two of Canada’s most remarkable places. Watch and listen to their stories now.
In this episode, hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler have a thoughtful discussion about the importance of homecare in Canada with Michelle Williams and Paul Hickey.
Michelle and Paul talk about why they pursued homecare as a career, why it is such a rewarding experience for them, and how homecare has changed during COVID-19.
Long-term care has been the focus of a lot of concern during the pandemic, but homecare has not received the attention it merits. Most Canadian seniors say that home is where they want to be, and we are thankful Michelle and Paul are helping make this a reality. Watch and listen to their stories now.
Listen as Gail Donner and Mary Wheelerhave an incredibly honest and passionate conversation with Natalie Stake-Doucet and Roya Kazempour, nurses in Quebec’s long-term care system.
Natalie and Roya take us behind-the-scenes as they describe the devastating impact and tragic loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how structural issues within long-term care can leave residents vulnerable. Natalie and Roya are passionate and hopeful, yet calls for change are necessary to improve the quality and conditions in long-term care. You don’t want to miss these remarkable stories.
Join hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler as we hear the inspiring voices of Bahar Karimi and Sarah McNally, both from long-term care facility Idlewyld Manor in Hamilton, Ontario.
Watch as Bahar and Sarah break the stigma of long-term care and how their nursing practice is full of passion, compassion, resilience and innovation, especially during the incredibly challenging COVID-19 pandemic. Watch and listen to Bahar and Sarah’s incredible stories now.
In our latest episode of Nurses’ Voices, hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler chat with Critical Care Nurse Managers Adam Gagnon and Patricia Daley about how they have adapted during the difficult, tense, and ever-changing times of COVID-19.
In this episode you’ll see how Adam and Patricia have maintained a high level of support for nurses throughout the pandemic while ensuring continued compassion for patients. And although it has been a very challenging time, both Adam and Patricia have had rewarding experiences and we are fortunate to have them share with us. Watch and listen to Adam’s and Patricia’s stories now.
Listen to our latest episode of Nurses’ Voices as Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler get a personal, inside view into intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic from critical care nurses Lisi Aldaba and Miriam Biju.
In this episode you’ll see how Lisi and Miriam dealt with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 waves throughout the pandemic, including the immense stress on them and their families and how care was compromised in hospitals, yet how they continued to make connections with patients during this incredibly challenging time. COVID-19 has been exhausting and draining for nurses, but they continue to persevere and give the best care possible for patients.
Public Health has always been at the core of communities across Canada. However, for many years the perception of public health has flown under the radar – it does great work, but without the attention that acute care often receives. The pandemic has changed all of that, and Public Health and Public Health Nurses now take centre stage.
In this episode, you will meet Janice Loe and Jane Skinner, two late career Public Health Nurses helping to lead the vaccination charge at Manitoba’s Prairie Mountain Health Region in Brandon.
In this episode we hear from two early career community health nurses working with the homeless population at the COVID Assisted Self Isolation Site run by The Alex in Calgary, Alberta. Tegan Broadhurst and Alysha Samji have taken the initiative to learn and expand their knowledge in an area of nursing that they have grown to love.
Hear about what they do, the challenges they have faced, and how they equipped themselves with knowledge to become better nurses, and to help their clients in this challenging area.
In this episode, hosts Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler chat with Chantel Antone and Chantalle Clarkin. They discuss the importance of story telling and the criticality of nurses telling their own stories rather than having their stories told by others. Plus, they discuss the role storytelling plays in nursing eduction and practice.
As well, hear from Chantel and Chantalle on the importance of storytelling to build connections between nurses, nurses and other healthcare professionals, nurses and patients and nurses public. And finally, how storytelling can be used by nurses in these especially challenging times.
Nurses’ Voices is a unique new video and audio series that will amplify the voices of nurses to help them adapt and excel within these changing and uncertain times. Hosted by Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler, Nurses’ Voices will feature conversations with a diverse group of Canadian nurses from a variety of workplaces. Nurses’ Voices is generously supported by the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Canadian Nurses Association.