National Nursing Week

6 MAY 6-12, 2024 SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2024 NATIONAL NURSING WEEK Changing lives. SHAPING TOMORROW. SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2024 Premier Wab Kinew met with health-care students at Red River College Polytechnic. (Photos submitted) GRATITUDE AND SUPPORT FOR MANITOBA'S NURSES BY JENNIFER MCFEE I t's an act of love to work in health care — particularly in the field of nursing. So says Premier Wab Kinew, noting that nurses are the backbone of health care in Manitoba — in the community, in health centres and at hospital bedsides. "Every day, you take care of Manitobans in their most vulnerable moments," Kinew says. "And, in response, our government will take care of you, the nurses working in Manitoba today." He acknowledges that it's become extremely challenging to provide care as a nurse, particularly during the last few years. "The hours are long, the cases are complex, the shifts are exhausting and sometimes you don't feel safe when you go to work. We've heard this reality from nurses in every part of our province," he says. "To the nurses who are on the front lines and at the bedside right now: we need you. We need you to continue with the excellent work you are doing. Nurses are there for us. And I want the nurses of our province to know that we're going to be there for you too." The current provincial government is listening to front-line staff and working with them to rebuild health care together, he notes. "It starts with changing the culture of health care in our province so that, no matter which setting you work in, you are able to provide care with the safety, respect and dignity you deserve," Kinew says. "At the same time, we are going to hire hundreds more nurses — including those who are internationally educated and those who are newly graduated in Manitoba. We're going to make it easier to choose a future in nursing and to keep practising in the career you love." The best solutions come from the front lines, he adds. "We've heard that expertise in every room we have shared with nurses — in every stop of our health-care listening tour," Kinew says. "So I want to encourage you to keep sharing your knowledge with us. If you have a concern, a new idea or a story to share, please reach out to us. We are listening." To all of Manitoba's nurses, Kinew has a message to share: "We need you. We need you, nurses in every part of Manitoba, to join us as we rebuild health care — because help is on the way." For Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara, the connection to National Nursing Week is a personal one. "I am a psychiatric nurse — and I absolutely love being a nurse. There are other nurses in my family as well. People put their trust in nurses. It's a sacred responsibility to provide care at the bedside, to sit with families in their time of need and provide the compassion and expertise they count on for themselves and their loved ones and communities," Asagwara says. "I've always felt so grateful that I chose nursing as a path. It's incredibly rewarding. I also love being able to work with nurses and listen to their expertise and their voices now so we can create a health-care system that serves Manitobans in the best ways possible." The health minister also expressed appreciation for this year's National Nursing Week theme: "Changing Lives. Shaping Tomorrow." "I love this theme because it really speaks to what is at the heart of nursing as a profession. Every single day, nurses are changing lives for the better. They are creating solutions, doing research and providing care that directly impacts the lives of Manitobans for the better. The work that nurses do every single day helps shape health care for tomorrow," Asagwara says. "That's why it's so important for me, as someone who worked on the front lines as a nurse and as someone who now has the privilege of serving in the role of health minister. It's such an incredible opportunity to work with nurses who are changing lives and shaping outcomes every day to create a path forward that strengthens health care for future generations." The provincial government supports nurses and values their expertise, the health minister adds. "Our government immediately began the work of showing nurses that we respect them through action — starting a listening tour, implementing policies, making investments and working to change the culture in health care," Asagwara says. "The advantage we have in Manitoba's health-care system is we have the best people. We have the best nurses in the country working right here in Manitoba. Treating them with respect, valuing their expertise, letting them know that we have their backs is fundamental to retaining, training and recruiting them throughout the system." And for nurses who are new to the profession, the future is bright. "In this role, I've had the pleasure of meeting hundreds of new nursing grads. I remember what it was like being a new graduate — the excitement, the anxiety, the pride that you feel entering this profession, which is a calling," Asagwara says. "I want to say thank you to the new grads who have chosen this sacred path. I'm excited to work with them and support them on their journey." Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara is proud to be a psychiatric nurse. (Photo by Darcy Finley)

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