BCNU Update Magazine Winter 2020

UPDATE WINTER 2020

M A G A Z I N E

CELEBRATING

OUR PROFESSION CELEBRATING

EACH OTHER

Year of the Nurse sees BCNU members rise to the challenge of COVID-19

SAFETY FIRST PRIORITIZING NURSES’ PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH | PROUD HEALTH PROMOTERS NORTHERN NURSES PROVIDE CRITICAL PREVENTIVE CARE TO RURAL AND REMOTE COMMUNITIES | BCNU POSITION STATEMENT ON PPE

JUNE 1-3 AN ONLINE EVENT

CALL FOR BCNU CONVENTION 2021 BCNU’s FIRST VIRTUAL CONVENTION

It’s time to submit your proposed resolutions, bylaw and constitutional amendments Proposed bylaw and constitutional amendments must be received by the Bylaws Committee no later than February 8, 2021. Please visit the BCNU member portal to submit proposed amendments.

Proposed resolutions must be received by the Resolutions Committee no later than February 8, 2021. Please visit the BCNU member portal to submit proposed resolutions.

CONTENTS

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VOL 39 NO3

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• WINTER 2020

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50

DEPARTMENTS

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

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VITAL SIGNS

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MY JOURNEY

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WHO CAN HELP?

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COUNCIL PROFILE

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OFF DUTY

POSITION STATEMENT ON PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT PULL OUT p. 19

UPFRONT

6 CHECK IN The latest news from around the province.

18 SAFETY FIRST BCNU has been educating and empowering members through the summer and fall.

FEATURE

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22 CURIOUS ABOUT SELF-CARE? Amanda Burns wants nurses to know about the importance of tending to ourselves.

41 APOLOGIES ARE NOT ENOUGH Talking about systemic racism and the vision of a more just society.

45 STOPPING FORPROFIT CARE BC Supreme Court win is the latest chapter in BCNU’s history of public health-care advocacy.

48 NORTHERN HEROES Members are providing critical preventive care to rural and remote communities.

CELEBRATING OUR PROFESSION AND EACH OTHER Year of the Nurse sees BCNU members rise to face the challenge of COVID-19.

UPDATE MAGAZINE • WINTER 2020

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MOVING? NEW EMAIL?

UPDATE M A G A Z I N E

MISSION STATEMENT The British Columbia Nurses’ Union protects and advances the health, safety, social and economic well-being of our members, our profession and our communities.

BCNU UPDATE MAGAZINE is published by the BC Nurses’ Union, an independent Canadian union governed by a council elected by our 48,000 members. Signed articles do not necessarily represent official BCNU policies.

EDITOR Lew MacDonald CONTRIBUTORS Juliet Chang, Tina Cheung, Laura Comuzzi, Sharon Costello, Kent Hurl, Hanif Karim, Kath Kitts, Shawn Leclair, Courtney McGillion, Mike Norris, Cindy Paton, Christine Sorensen, Dan Tatroff PHOTOS Lew MacDonald CONTACT US BCNU Communications Department

STAY CONNECTED When you move, please let BCNU know your new address so we can keep sending you Update Magazine, election information and other vital union material.

Send us your home email address and we’ll send you BCNU’s member eNews.

Please contact the membership department by email at membership@bcnu.org or by phone at 604-433-2268 or 1-800-663-9991

4060 Regent Street Burnaby, BC, V5C 6P5 PHONE 604.433.2268 TOLL FREE 1.800.663.9991 FAX 604.433.7945 TOLL FREE FAX 1.888.284.2222 BCNU WEBSITE www.bcnu.org EMAIL EDITOR lmacdonald@bcnu.org MOVING? Please send change of address to membership@bcnu.org Publications Mail Agreement 40834030 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to BCNU 4060 Regent Street Burnaby, BC, V5C 6P5

PRESIDENT’S REPORT STAY SAFE AND STAY STRONG

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PHOTO: PETER HOLST

CHRISTINE SORENSEN

URSES ARE NATURAL leaders.” I’ve said this before and I’m proud to say it again as I witness BCNU members rising to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. A second wave of infections has seen our hospitals and ICUs begin to fill once again, but every day nurses are doing their best in a health-care system that had you understaffed and overworked even before the pandemic hit.

The invaluable contributions nurses are making to confront the crisis can be seen with the recent public health orders expanding our scope of practice and authorizing RPNs and RNs to prescribe pharmaceutical alternatives to toxic street drugs. This is an important part of the solution to addressing the province’s deadly opioid crisis.

Meanwhile, nurses are stepping up to help reduce the province’s surgical backlog. But the health ministry’s surgical renewal plan presumes all OR nurses in BC can work full time and that all new grads are competent enough to work in the OR. All of these measures press on nurses’ ability to cope while we struggle to get through a difficult winter. They also demonstrate the need for a provincial health human resources plan specific to nursing if we want to avoid the downward spiral of exhaustion, depression, burnout and reduced retention rates that inaction will inevitably bring.

I want to thank all of you for your perseverance and commitment in the face of the tragedy COVID-19 has brought this year. I know you are stepping up and we are committed to ensuring you’re supported. We are one step closer to finalizing the Nurses’ Bargaining Association Patient Care Assessment Process with provincial health employers. More details will be provided in the coming weeks about the interim assessment tool that was determined though a

mediation arbitration award in late November.

We are also continuing to support members with education on workplace health and safety rights, and I encourage you to contact your steward if you have any questions or concerns about staying safe during the pandemic.

The Public Health Agency of Canada’s new federal guidelines confirming airborne transmission of the coronavirus validate nurses’ calls for better precautions when caring for COVID-19 patients. Employers have an obligation to follow the precautionary principle and provide workers with unfettered access to the personal protective equipment they deem necessary to keep safe. (Look for BCNU’s pull-out position statement on PPE in this issue.)

This fall saw two of our own elected to the BC legislature. I would like to congratulate new MLAs and fellow nurses Susie Chant and Harwinder Sandhu on their victories. This gives us hope that our voices will be heard and changes will be made to improve our working lives and the lives of our patients.

Our hopes were also raised recently when we witnessed the election of Kamala Harris as vice-president of the United States – the first woman and the first Black or South Asian person elected to the office. Her win will surely inspire more young women of colour in Canada to engage in politics and run for office.

And as we look ahead to 2021, there are more glimmers of hope on the horizon with the announcement of successful COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, which brings the possibility that a working vaccine could be available early next year.

I would like to thank all of you this winter for being there when patients need it most. Many of you will be working through the holidays away from warm homes and loved ones. Your dedication must not go unacknowledged.

I wish you all the best this holiday season and share your hopes for a brighter New Year. •

UPDATE MAGAZINE • WINTER 2020

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CHECK IN

NEWS FROM AROUND THE PROVINCE

EVERY CHILD MATTERS BCNU honours Orange Shirt Day

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CNU MEMBERS took time on Sept. 30 to recognize Orange Shirt Day and acknowledge the harm Canada’s residential school system has done to Indigenous children’s self-esteem and well-being. Orange Shirt Day is also an opportunity to honour residential school survivors and their families.

The day is named for the new orange shirt that Phyllis Webstad’s grandmother bought for the six-year-old’s first day at St.

Joseph’s Mission School in Williams Lake in 1973. But her life was altered forever when the staff cut her hair and took her shirt, which was never returned.

Today, Webstad says the colour orange always reminds her of her experiences at residential school.

“My feelings didn’t matter … no one cared and I felt like I was worth nothing,” she recalls. “All of us little children were crying and no one cared.”

BCNU President Christine Sorensen says the day is an opportunity to promote rec-

onciliation with Indigenous people and to honour the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 2016 calls to action.

“Orange Shirt Day is a reminder for all Canadians about the legacy of Indigenous people’s treatment in this country – we recognize this day to acknowledge the important work that still needs to be done before true reconciliation is achieved.” • You can learn more about Orange Shirt Day at www.orangeshirtday.org

Susie Chant

Harwinder Sandhu

NURSES IN THE LEGISLATURE

PROMOTING AWARENESS BCNU members across the province recognized Orange Shirt Day on Sept. 30.

Clockwise from left: West Kootenay region Indigenous Leadership Circle rep Erin Roulette (r) with member Rosie Sheppard; Pacific Rim region Indigenous Leadership Circle rep Michelle Martinson; West Kootenay region steward liaison Colleen Driscoll; South Islands Indigenous Leadership Circle rep Monique Pat.

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BCNU would like to congratulate fellow members Susie Chant and Harwinder Sandhu on successfully winning their ridings of North Vancouver-Seymour and Vernon-Monashee in this October’s provincial general election. Both registered nurses have years of experience in many areas of health care and will no doubt work to bring the priorities of their constituents and the nursing profession to the BC legislature.

VIRTUAL EVENT BCNU’s October Leaders’ Assembly was the union’s first virtual provincial event. It saw over 165 members come together using the online conferencing service Zoom.

HOT TIP

COLLEGE REGISTRATION RENEWAL APPLICATION AND BCNU FEE REIMBURSEMENT Members covered by the Nurses’ Bargaining Association provincial collective agreement, and eligible for a $215 reimbursement of their annual BCCNM registration renewal fee, can choose to consent to the college sharing their personal information with BCNU. Choosing this option means you will no longer need to provide your receipt as proof of registration when applying to BCNU for the reimbursement.

Members covered by the NBA collective agreement can apply for their reimbursement through BCNU’s Member Portal starting Feb. 1, 2021.

Visit the BCNU website for more information on the college registration fee reimbursement.

If you have questions about 2021–22 college registration fees, please contact register@bccnm.ca or 604.742.6200.

RISING TO THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE Leaders’ Assembly brings members together for BCNU’s first province-wide online event

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CNU TAKES pride in strengthening its leaders as individuals and building a strong and united leadership team. “Nurses are natural leaders – at home, in our communities and on the job,” says BCNU President Christine Sorensen. “But it’s in times of crisis and hardship that we see the true value of nurses.”

The COVID-19 global health crisis highlights more than ever the importance of nursing leaders working together and empowering each other to achieve shared goals. With this challenge in mind, BCNU organized its first Leaders’ Assembly, which took place Oct. 8 and 9. In her opening remarks Sorensen noted that effec-

tive leadership is about “being nimble and adapting to change.” The over 165 event participants – which included provincial and regional executives, stewards and member educators – had the opportunity to demonstrate this collectively as they came together for the event by participating virtually from their homes – a first for BCNU. An online workshop focused on effective leadership was the highlight of the two-day assembly.

Nic Tsangarakis of Kwela Leadership led participants in a variety of small group exercises to explore their own leadership style, learn best practices for decision-making and develop strategies to engage and empower others.

The event also provided an opportunity for participants to discuss their leadership responsibilities in a world of COVID-19, and how to lead and communicate using online meeting platforms like Zoom.

Sorensen says it was wonderful to see participants connect, and notes that the group’s engagement and enthusiasm was not hampered by the virtual environment. “The assembly was a great experience,” she says, “and it reminded us how individual members, stewards, member educators, caucus chairs or representatives on one of our 16 regional executives all have the ability to effect positive change in our working lives and in the lives of our patients.” •

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CHECK IN

NURSING STUDENTS WELCOMED

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HIS YEAR BCNU welcomed four students who assisted staff in the union’s health and safety and professional practice and advocacy departments.

Fourth-year Kwantlen Polytechnic University nursing student Tara Dowran finished her time with BCNU in August.

Dowran worked in the union’s professional practice and advocacy department, where she helped develop worksite-oriented resources to improve nurses’ mental health.

“It was an amazing experience,” says the Coquitlam-raised student.

“I also helped plan BCNU’s

Human Rights and Equity Conference by contacting progressive vendors to join the virtual exhibition hall.”

Dowran’s passion for helping others led her to choose nursing. “I would love to one day become an emergency trauma nurse,” she says, when asked about her long-term career goals.

Student Stevie Hunt is in the second year of a bachelor of science in nursing program at North Island College. From the Kwakiutl First Nation in Port Hardy, she is mom to a two-yearold son.

BCNU’s student positions became virtual due to COVID-19 restrictions, which meant Hunt was able to contribute remotely from

SUPPORTIVE STUDENTS Isobel Granados (l) and Tara Dowran (r) assisted BCNU with its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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her Vancouver Island home.

“I worked on various projects, including an LGBTQ pronouns info sheet, COVID-19 outbreak packages and a joint occupational health and safety committee information project,” she says.

Student Isobel Granados and her family came from the Philippines when she was 14. Now in her second year at BCIT, she balances her eagerness to nurse in acute care or pediatric emergency with gaining additional experience at BCNU. “I helped create a standardized COVID-19 outbreak response process for BCNU members and gathered elements in support of a systems-approach to strengthen JOHS committees,” she reports.

“I’m lucky to be part of the BCNU community,” reflects Granados. “It has helped mold me into the student I am.”

Granados and Hunt are scheduled to continue at BCNU until December. The union thanks the students for their hard work and ongoing contributions and wishes them the best of luck in completing their formal nursing education. •

MAKING NEWS BCNU in the headlines NURSES’ COVID CONCERNS As the “second wave” of the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the province, and the number of daily new cases spiked, BCNU President Christine Sorensen spoke with CBC Radio host Stephen Quinn on Nov. 19 about the added pressure nurses are experiencing during the pandemic.

“Every day nurses go to work facing the fact that they too may be infected in their own workplace,” she said, noting how nurses and their families are facing the same stresses as everyone else who is struggling.

“Everything I’m hearing from nurses now tells me the signs of anxiety, depression, exhaustion and burnout that we were seeing through the first wave are only being amplified by the second wave.”

Sorensen reminded listeners that nurses were already impacted by BC’s nurse shortage prior to the pandemic.

She stressed the need for health-care workers’ unrestricted access to personal protective equipment and for stronger public health measures around masking and supporting workers who are sick.

GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY BCNU Thompson North Okanagan regional council member Scott Duvall presents Kamloops Food Bank director of resource development Corra Gassner with a cheque for $5,500 on Oct. 8.

COVID-19

CARING FOR OUR COMMUNITIES

N FOND FAREWELL This year BCNU said goodbye to many council members who will no longer be serving on the union’s top governing body.

Some are retiring and some will continue to be active in their regions.

BCNU thanks them all for their tireless service and dedication to advancing nurses’ workplace rights and practice conditions. From top left: Chris Armeanu, Helena Barzilay, Rhonda Croft, Adriane Gear, Tracey Greenberg, Lynn Lagace, Ron Poland, Tracy Quewezance, and Margo Wilton.

URSES ACROSS BC HAVE BEEN HELPING offset the increasing pressures the province’s food banks have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This fall BCNU Thompson North Okanagan region members raised money from regional and provincial sources to support the Foodbank’s Starfish Backpack program, which provides food to school children without enough food to carry them through the weekend. Food bank volunteers fill backpacks with easy-to-prepare and nutritious items and deliver them to schools.

Earlier this year BCNU made a $10,000 donation to Food Banks BC, an organization dedicated to helping food insecure families and individuals across the province. Individual members also supported Food Banks BC by making personal financial contributions through the BC Nurses’ Union Fund, a permanent endowment fund established through the Vancouver Foundation. •

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MUNICIPAL PENSION PLAN

OUR PENSION, OUR FUTURE NBA committee reviews governance options

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HE PENSION PLAN review negotiated as part of the Nurses’ Bargaining Association 2019-22 contract talks has entered its next phase, and a six-person Pension Review Committee made up of union and employer reps has now begun its work.

The pension review was negotiated in 2018 because BCNU anticipated changes to the design of the Municipal Pension Plan that were officially announced this September.

These design changes may have consequences for some BCNU members who belong to the plan. Members should review the plan design changes so they understand how those changes might affect their retirement plans.

However, the pension review process will consider governance options that could allow nurses to retain features of the current MPP plan design if one of these options is recommended by the committee.

NBA committee reps include BCNU Senior Director of Negotiations and Servicing Donna Bouzan, BCNU Director of Pensions, Benefits and Special Projects Dominique Roelants and Bruce Kennedy, a former executive director of the College, Public

“The review process gives all NBA members the opportunity to choose a path that’s best for them.”

BCNU executive councillor Michelle Sordal

Service and Teachers’ Pension boards.

These reps are joined by three reps from the Health Employers Association of BC. BCNU executive councillor for pensions Michelle Sordal is also attending meetings with the committee as it reviews the findings of an independent actuary contracted by the MPP earlier this year to analyze the feasibility of new pension governance options. These include the creation of a new nurses’ pension plan (the “NPP Option”) or a distinct group for nurses within the MPP (the “MPP Option”).

The negotiated terms of the governance review process allow the committee to recommend an NPP or a distinct group if certain pre-conditions are met. A change in governance cannot occur if that change would lead to increased contribution rates for continued on page 12

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NO MORE BRIDGE BENEFIT? No need to retire earlier THE MUNICIPAL PENSION PLAN’S announced elimination of the bridge benefit for members who choose to retire before the age of 65 has some nurses nearing retirement age wondering if they should retire earlier than planned to avoid losing this benefit.

This isn’t necessary because the change only applies to future service earned.

Members retiring in 2022 or later will still get the full bridge benefit and the Rule of 90 for all service earned prior to the MPP rule change coming into effect on Jan. 1, 2022. In fact, because the changes only affect service earned on or after Jan. 1, 2022, pensions will be bigger for those who work in 2022 than those who work to the end of 2021 and retire.

For example a nurse who started on their 22nd birthday, turns 55 on July 1, 2021 and has a highest average salary of $90,000 will get a pension of $58,491 up to age 65 and $44,479 beginning at age 65 if they retired on Dec. 31, 2021 and started drawing their pension in January 2022.

If the nurse worked the extra six months to get an unreduced pension on all pre 2022 service, they would receive a pension of at least $60,943 per year before age 65 and at least $46,498 afterward.

A member who works in 2022 will always receive a higher pension than a member who stopped work in December 2021 and started drawing their pension in January 2022. •

“I HAVE A VOICE” Saskatchewan nurse Carolyn Strom saw the Saskatchewan appeal court overturn a $26,000 penalty levied against her for social media posts.

STAFFING

Parties collaborating on final agreement UNION AND EMPLOYER REPS HAVE BEEN WORKING on the implementation of Article 60 (Direct Patient Care Assessment) of the 2019-2022 Nurses’ Bargaining Association provincial collective agreement since the contract was ratified in 2019. Article 60 provides for a collaborative direct patient care assessment process (PCAP) to support the determination of immediate (short-term) direct patient care staffing requirements at all health authority and Providence Health Care worksites.

A final PCAP has yet to be completed despite significant efforts by both parties. However, health employers and nurses have been working diligently to finalize and implement the PCAP following a temporary suspension of discussions during the COVID-19 pandemic response period.

In May the parties agreed to establish a three-person panel chaired by veteran mediator Vince Ready to assist with the work. Despite making significant progress this October, the parties recognized that additional time was needed to complete the final PCAP and that an interim approach would be necessary.

The three-person panel issued an award on Nov. 15 that prescribes an interim PCAP for each applicable direct care practice area. NBA reps are currently working with reps from the Health Employers Association of BC on the implementation process for the interim PCAP. The broad payment of the Working Short Premium will be discontinued in each area once the interim PCAP tool is implemented. This premium will then only be paid when nurses are deemed to be working short pursuant to the interim PCAP and Article 28.04 of the NBA collective agreement.

BCNU and HEABC appreciate the hard work of both NBA and employer reps to date, including in-charge nurses, managers and point-of-care nurses who have provided input and given feedback.

Work will continue on the development of a final PCAP following implementation of the interim PCAP. •

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

COURT APPEAL WIN AFFIRMS NURSES’ CHARTER RIGHTS

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C NURSES celebrated a significant legal victory this October when a Saskatchewan Court of Appeal issued a decision upholding a Saskatchewan nurse’s freedom of expression rights.

The court ruled in favour of nurse Carolyn Strom, overturning a decision by the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses’ Association (SRNA) Discipline Committee.

The decision has implications for nurses across Canada. Strom was previously found guilty of professional misconduct and fined $26,000 by SRNA, the province’s regulatory body for nurses, for commenting on social media about the quality of her grandfather’s end-of-life care in 2015.

In its decision, the Court of Appeal found that the SRNA’s Discipline Committee unjustifiably infringed on Ms. Strom’s Charter right to freedom of expression, and ordered it to pay legal costs.

The court noted that nurses and other regulated professionals remain bound by codes of conduct, professional standards and the rules of regulatory bodies, but that these limits do not require that they fall silent. It also affirmed that health-care workers who

are “prepared and permitted to speak and pursue positive change” can enhance public confidence by sharing their knowledge of a “massive and opaque” health-care system.

BCNU President Christine Sorensen says the stakes in the case were high. “Care conditions and working conditions go hand in hand,” she notes. “Nurses exercise their professional autonomy and judgment when advocating for their patients, and this often involves reaching out to elected officials and the public about the condition of our health-care system.”

Sorensen says the Strom case should remind nurses that it’s always important to be familiar with their employer’s policies and to think about the consequences of the content they publish on social media or other forms of user-generated media. She reminds members that BCNU’s Licensing Education Advocacy and Practice program is in place to support them if they face disciplinary action from the regulatory college regarding complaints of unprofessional and unethical conduct. This would include complaints stemming from information posted on social media platforms. •

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PHOTO: CHAD HILLS (CTV SASKATOON)

INTERIM PATIENT CARE ASSESSMENT PROCESS TO BE IMPLEMENTED

VITAL SIGNS NUMBERS THAT MATTER

TROUBLING TRENDS A June 2020 UBC survey on nurses’ psychological health and safety contains numerous troubling findings. The survey was a follow-up to a similar one conducted between October and December 2019. When compared to the original survey, the findings reveal higher levels of anxiety, depression and emotional exhaustion, an increase in negative treatment in the workplace and a lower quality of nursing care. For more information, read our story about this BCNU-sponsored research on page 17.

KEY FINDINGS BC NURSES:

60%

41%

report high emotional exhaustion

report moderate to severe depression

38%

report moderate to severe anxiety

24%

report experiencing bullying or harassment

SUICIDE IDEATION BC nurses have a rate

2 to 3 times higher than the national average.

Source: Havaei, Farinaz. MacPhee, Maura. Ma, Andy (2020). A Provincial Study of Nurses’ COVID-19 Experiences and Psychological Health and Safety in British Columbia, Canada. UBC School of Nursing.

OUR PENSION, OUR FUTURE continued from page 10 nurses, employers or other members of the plan. The terms of the review also stipulate that inflation protection for retired nurses and other MPP members must not decline, and can only be improved if there is no cost to the employer.

The committee’s governance option recommendation would only be implemented if approved by a majority vote of NBA members, both active and retired, and the implementation of the NPP option could only occur following government approval.

Any proposed changes that come from the governance review process are separate and independent from the MPP’s proposed redesign that was announced in September. The latter changes will be decided by the MPP board and are scheduled to come into effect on Jan. 1, 2022.

“It’s our hope that the committee will make a pension governance recommendation for members to consider and vote on early next year,” says Sordal.

She notes that a vote would only proceed if the committee recommends a new nurses’ pension plan or a distinct group for nurses within the MPP. No vote is required if the committee rejects both options. In this case NBA members would remain in the MPP as they currently are.

If a new pension governance model is recommended, Sordal believes the review process gives all NBA members the opportunity to choose a path that’s best for them. “And that’s something we all deserve,” she says. • Visit www.bcnu.org for more information on the nurses’ pension governance review process.

COVID-19

WORKER SAFETY LAW SEES IMPROVEMENTS Amendments will make compensation claims easier for nurses who have contracted COVID-19

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HIS SUMMER SAW THE implementation of dramatic new changes to the Workers Compensation Act aimed at better supporting workers who contract COVID-19 on the job.

Bill 23 – the Workers Compensation Amendment Act – received royal assent on Aug. 14. The government described the enactment of the legislation as a move that will ensure “workers and their families get the support they need, while also increasing everyone’s confidence in the system.”

Bill 23’s provisions bring significant improvements for injured workers.

The changes complement an earlier WorkSafeBC Board of Directors’ recognition that a worker who contracts a viral pathogen is presumed to have been infected as a result of their employment whenever their risk of exposure to the pathogen is significantly greater than the risk to the public at large during a public health emergency.

The changes will also see the fast-tracking of the effective date of presumption for occupational diseases caused by COVID-19 by removing the

typical 90-day wait period and simplifying the process for workers who make a WorkSafeBC claim. This amendment to the existing law will also ensure those who are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 at work have faster access to benefits.

“We know that far too many nurses have contracted the virus and it’s turned their lives upside down,” says BCNU President Christine Sorensen.

“The swift passage of Bill 23 means WorkSafeBC can apply the viral pathogen presumption immediately – this is great news for our members.”

“WorkSafeBC can apply the viral pathogen presumption immediately – this is great news for our members.”

BCNU President Christine Sorensen

Some of the success that’s resulted from the passing of Bill 23 can be attributed to the dedication of hundreds of nurses and members of the public who took action this summer through the “Support BC’s Nurses” campaign, launched by the union in early June. The campaign allowed members and the public to pressure decision makers by sending messages to their MLAs, asking that they ensure all nurses who are exposed to, or test positive for, COVID-19 are compensated. The campaign saw an impressive 1,405 letters signed and sent to local representatives.

Prior to launching the public campaign, BCNU sent a letter to the WorkSafeBC Board in July calling for the extension of meaningful presumption to workers who contract COVID19. “It was critical we took immediate steps to get the board thinking about the many nurses who have contracted COVID-19 and who deserve to be supported while they recover,” says Sorensen. “We argued that supports and resources need to be in place for nurses and all health-care workers as they manage a surge of new case numbers and deal with the second wave.”

The 34 provisions in Bill 23 include amendments to the Workers Compensation Act that bring substantial changes relating to compensation and continued on page 15

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HEALTH & SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE

SURVIVING THE SECOND WAVE Province’s ambitious fall pandemic plan lacks detail on health human resources

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HEN THE NUMber of daily new COVID-19 cases fell to single digits throughout most of the summer, British Columbians were praised for abiding by public health guidelines and doing their part to ‘‘flatten the curve” and reduce pressure on the health-care system.

When the province’s pandemic plan shifted from Phase 2 to Phase 3, businesses reopened, people returned to work and plans for a new school year jumped into full swing.

However, for nurses and other health-care workers, that optimism was muted by the knowledge that an effective fall pandemic plan was still not in place to prepare the health-care system for an inevitable annual cold and flu season and a COVID-19 second wave that they worried would spike transmission rates once again.

Health-care workers waited, and on Sept. 9 the government unveiled British Columbia’s COVID-19 fall pandemic preparedness plan, a $1.6 billion investment that includes different healthcare measures to best prepare for high levels of hospital admissions and demand in the event of an upward swing in the COVID-19 curve.

The plan includes four

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different transmission scenarios to help BC’s health-care system respond to varying levels of demand for beds and ventilators. Each scenario – low, medium, high and exceptional – compares hospital demand at different stages observed throughout the spring.

The last two scenarios are based on the likelihood of COVID-19 bringing BC’s health-care system to its knees if public health measures are not implemented and strictly followed.

Upon hearing the announcement, BCNU commended the government for its efforts to mitigate a COVID-19 surge and reduce the impact it would have on the health-care system. But the union also raised serious concerns about the province’s ability to sustain a robust pandemic plan without effectively educating, recruiting and training the thousands of nurses needed to meet patients’ needs.

“These efforts lack a robust health human resources plan specific to nurses,” says BCNU President Christine Sorensen. “The government is focused on keeping hospitals open and tackling the huge numbers of postponed elective surgeries, all while managing COVID-19 and cold and flu season,” she notes. “However, it must also be focused on addressing the province’s nursing shortage.”

The need for additional nurses was

obvious well before the pandemic struck. Heavy workloads and excessive overtime hours were behind the unfortunate fact that more nurses than ever were suffering from burnout and exhaustion. COVID-19 has brought with it a new set of challenges, including a lack of significant mental health supports for health-care workers, and an expectation that nurses be part of the health ministry’s “all-handson-deck” approach to addressing the backlog of elective surgeries postponed through the spring.

“These efforts lack a robust health human resources plan specific to nurses.”

BCNU President Christine Sorensen

Sorensen argues that any effort to boost hospital surge capacity in the event of a sudden influx of patients will likely be impossible due to the fact nurses are already working short.

“The government’s ambition rests on the shoulders of nurses and all healthcare workers who have been working during the pandemic since early March,” says Sorensen. “Their health and well-being must be a priority moving forward.”

Focusing on nurses’ health and well-being would start by listening to their call for access to high quality personal protective equipment – access

COVID-19 CLAIMS PROCESS WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU?

that is still not available despite the government’s continuing efforts to procure more supplies of PPE. Sorensen says she continues to hear from members who report being denied access to PPE, specifically N95 masks when working in COVID19 cohorts. “It is unacceptable that sufficient PPE is still not ending up in the hands of nurses who are working through this pandemic,” she says. “We expect health authorities to meet the needs of nurses and respect their professional judgment when it comes to keeping themselves and their patients safe.”

The government also has plans to increase testing and contact tracing to help control the transmission of the virus. This includes a goal of being able to perform 20,000 tests a day by fall/winter and hiring more than 600 new staff to increase contact tracing case management capacity.

To top it off, an ambitious province-wide immunization campaign is underway with the goal of administering almost two million flu shots. And the innovative “Hospital at Home” program, which will provide 24/7 care for people at home, aims to keep seniors out of hospitals and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in care settings. The program is expected to begin in Victoria before expanding across BC. “We welcome innovative ideas and programs,” says Sorensen. “However, the government must begin incorporating a nurse-specific health human resources plan into these announcements so that nurses can feel reassured and supported while they provide safe care for all British Columbians.” •

WORKERS SAFETY LAW continued from page 13 other occupational health and safety measures. These include increasing the insurable earnings maximum limit to $100,000 a year and determining permanent disability award end dates when a worker turns 63, and not on the date of injury. The WorkSafeBC Board may also reconsider a decision or order if there is an obvious error or omission, even if the 75-day reconsideration time limit has passed.

WorkSafeBC can also now expediate access to care for a worker before a claim is accepted.

Sorensen says that, while she applauds the passing of Bill 23 and the WorkSafeBC decision to provide presumption for nurses who contract COVID-19 at work, she would also like to see health authorities work harder to implement infection control measures and respect nurses’ professional judgment when it comes to having access to adequate personal protective equipment.

“We are still hearing from nurses that they don’t have unfettered access to PPE, and that is very concerning.”

Sorensen stresses the importance of protecting point-of-care healthcare workers during the pandemic so they can feel confident they can stay healthy and stay safe while they provide care.

“These legislative changes should make nurses’ working lives easier,” she says. “But our most important goal should be making sure nurses never need to make a WorkSafeBC claim if they contract COVID-19.” •

THERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT FACTS to consider if you develop COVID-19 or a related condition that you believe it is due to your work.

COVID-19 claims will be adjudicated by a dedicated section of WorkSafeBC. Two key considerations will determine whether your COVID-19 claim will be accepted as an occupational disease, 1. Is there evidence of work-related exposure(s) that are likely causative of the infection?

2. Does the nature of the employment place the worker at significantly greater risk of contracting this contagious disease than that faced by the public?

Your claim for COVID-19 will likely be accepted if either of these two requirements are met.

Other conditions related to COVID-19 measures There are a number of other work-related conditions that may arise as a consequence of COVID-19 measures. These may include: • Dermatitis due to frequent hand washing or use of PPE • Musculoskeletal injury due to changes in work procedures • Psychological injury due to increased mental stressors The BCNU WCB Advocacy team is available to answer any of your questions about COVID19 related WorkSafeBC claims, and to assist with claims if needed.

Please contact WCB Intake Assistant Jennifer Cheung if you require more information: jcheung@bcnu.org

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COVID-19

PRIORITIZING THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE New report exposes Canada’s failure to learn from SARS and keep workers safe from COVID-19

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HE SYSTEM FOR PROtecting Canadian healthcare workers is broken and must be fixed now.

That’s the message contained in A Time of Fear, an investigation into Canada’s management of COVID-19 and the safety of the nation’s health-care workers.

Published in October, the report details Canada’s systemic preventable failure to adequately prepare and urgently respond to the gravest public health emergency in a century.

Report author Mario Possamai is the former senior advisor to the Ontario Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Commission established in 2003 to investigate how the SARS virus came to that province and how it was dealt with.

Possamai is uniquely positioned to chronicle the stories of point-of-care health-care workers now facing the

A TIME OF FEAR Read the summary report on your mobile device

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COVID-19 pandemic and he draws extensively from the lessons of the SARS Commission in this new report.

His investigation begins by reminding readers how policymakers and public health officials responded with a frenzy of reviews and commissions following the SARS crisis. Public health agencies were founded and new public health legislation was written. But today, he argues, it would appear we are sleepwalking through the COVID-19 crisis and repeating the mistakes that were made during the SARS outbreak.

“Canada is witnessing a systemic preventable failure to learn from the 2003 SARS outbreak,” he concludes, pointing to major flaws in the Canadian government’s approach to public health and a dangerous and irresponsible approach to worker safety in response to the pandemic.

Currently, health-care workers, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities and homes, make up nearly one in five of all COVID-19 cases in Canada compared to approximately 10 percent globally, according to figures released in September by the International Council of Nurses. It’s numbers like these that have unions and occupational health and safety experts repeat-

edly calling for airborne precautions, including N95 respirators or better, when caring for COVID-19 patients.

But their requests have been repeatedly ignored by governments.

A Time of Fear was commissioned by the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions and is endorsed by BCNU and other provincial nurses’ unions. The independent investigation makes 50 recommendations to improve worker and public safety, and offers a roadmap to a more effective public health system and a safer health-care sector for workers, residents and patients. At the core of this vision is a renewed commitment to institutional preparation and the precautionary principle, an approach that begins by recognizing that reasonable actions to reduce safety risks should not await scientific certainty, and that workers should be afforded the highest level of precaution in the face of uncertain hazards.

“BCNU stands with scientists, occupational health and safety experts and public health specialists in firmly endorsing the recommendations of this independent investigation,” says BCNU President Christine Sorensen.

“It’s clear that the prior adoption of many of its proposed recommendations would have mitigated the devastating impact of COVID-19.”

She says the investigation should serve as a wake-up call for all policymakers and health-care managers. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, ordinary Canadians have made enormous sacrifices to flatten the curve and to slow the transmission of the virus to buy time to come up with answers to this crisis.

Canadians are still waiting and Canada’s health-care workers are paying the price. •

RESEARCH FOCUSES ON NURSES’ MENTAL HEALTH Latest provincial survey highlights COVID-19’s added toll

A

JOINT STUDY SPONsored by the BC Nurses’ Union and conducted by researchers from the UBC School of Nursing has exposed the mental strain nurses are experiencing during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The research, called A Provincial Study of Nurses’ COVID-19 Experiences and Psychological Health and Safety in British Columbia, Canada, surveyed 3,676 working registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and registered psychiatric nurses between June 17 and July 22. The results found that many nurses working in acute care, long-term

care and community-based settings are suffering from PTSD, anxiety, depression and emotional exhaustion.

The survey is a follow-up to an initial psychological health and safety study conducted from October to December 2019. This time, specific questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic were added, which means the overall key findings provide an opportunity to compare nurses’ mental health issues before and after the pandemic hit.

The findings make immediately apparent the significant toll the last seven months have taken on BC’s nurses. Forty-one percent of survey respondents said they suffered from

MAKING HEADLINES The findings of a provincial study of BC nurses’ COVID-19 experiences and psychological health and safety received significant media attention this summer. The BCNU-sponsored research is just one of the many ways the union has been advocating for members through the pandemic.

severe depression – compared to 31 percent from the 2019 survey – a 10 percent jump in only six months. Sixty percent said they suffered from emotional exhaustion – up from 56 percent.

Thirty-eight percent reported experiencing moderate to severe anxiety – compared to 28 percent in the previous study.

“Even before the pandemic we knew nurses were being impacted by the nursing shortage and suffering from significant burnout due to high workloads,” says BCNU President Christine

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SAFETY FIRST BCNU focused on educating and empowering members on OH&S issues through the summer and fall

B

C IS NOW MONTHS INTO the COVID-19 pandemic, but nurses continue to have difficulty accessing personal protective equipment at work and ensuring their employers have taken all of the necessary health and safety measures needed to protect them from contracting the virus.

Despite this, daily government updates provided to the public through the summer suggested that large quantities of PPE were being procured, tested and distributed. However, BC nurses were reporting a much different reality: they didn’t have unfettered access to N95 masks and other safety equipment, and controls around PPE supply were leaving them dangerously at risk while on the job.

SURVEYING MEMBERS’ ACCESS TO PPE

The numerous first-hand accounts from nurses concerned about the lack of access to sufficient PPE prompted BCNU to conduct an internal member survey in June called “COVID-19 in the Workplace.” More than 3,000 members responded to provide accounts of their

experiences accessing PPE. This gave the union a valuable snapshot of the ongoing challenges nurses face every single day when it comes to keeping themselves safe.

The results exposed serious shortcomings with worksite health and safety practices. For instance, 54 percent of members across health-care sectors reported shortages of PPE at their worksites – and the majority of those surveyed (77 percent) believed that PPE restrictions were based on employers wanting to control supply rather than science.

The survey findings were shared with the broader membership in early August in materials focused on informing and guiding members as they work through the public health crisis.

Spurred by these survey findings, BCNU launched a summer education initiative that consisted of weekly bulletins reminding members about the importance of the precautionary principle, how to conduct a point-of-care risk assessment and on the right to refuse unsafe work process.

The union also provided members with an FAQ resource on PPE proto-

DO YOU HAVE A HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERN? Contact BCNU’s Member Safety and Support Phone Line at 604.433.2268 (press 1) or toll-free at 1.800.663.9991 (press 1). The line is open seven days a week and connects members with a BCNU health and safety officer or a member of our labour relations team.

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cols and access and, published a new position statement on PPE. Developed

by BCNU’s OHS department, the statement clearly outlines the union’s expectations of both employers and the government around PPE investments and preparedness (see pull-out statement on page 19 of this issue).

“BCNU’s PPE position statement defines where we stand when it comes to protecting nurses and other health-

“Education is the best tool when it comes to staying safe on the job.”

BCNU President Christine Sorensen

MEMBER EDUCATION This summer nurses across BC were reminded of the occupational health and safety rights that are in place to protect them – such as the right to know about hazards and controls in the workplace, the right to refuse unsafe work and the right to participate in OH&S activities and be free from discrimination if doing so.

care workers,” explains BCNU President Christine Sorensen. She says the materials released this summer, which included the PPE survey results, also helped unite nurses from around BC, all of whom experienced the pandemic differently despite their shared frustration with lack of access to PPE. “Things have been moving so quickly over the last several months, and there was a need to provide nurses with resources specific to how to best provide care – safely,” she adds. “Nurses are still being denied access to PPE and that is unacceptable. We feel education is the best tool when it comes to staying safe on the job.”

PROMOTING THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE

BCNU’s first OHS bulletins focused on the importance of practising the precautionary principle when treating COVID-19 patients. The 2003 SARS Commission report affirmed that this principle should be used to guide the development and implementation of controls to keep workers and patients safe during future outbreaks of novel pathogens.

Broadly speaking, the precautionary principle states that the highest level of safety control should be used until such time as there is definitive evidence

that such a control is not required.

Unfortunately, since the beginning of COVID-19, the ongoing issues around PPE supply and access have led to concerns over the application of the precautionary principle in BC. “BCNU continues to advocate strongly for the universal application of the precautionary principle,” says

“BCNU continues to advocate strongly for the universal application of the precautionary principle.”

BCNU President Christine Sorensen

Sorensen. “In practical terms, this should include the continued use of robust physical controls, altered work practices and expedient and complete access to the highest standards of PPE.” Sorensen says she’s frustrated when hearing that nurses’ professional judgment is ignored, or when seeing stories of nurses having to reuse their PPE, store it in brown paper bags, or take other measures that would have been against protocols and not permitted prior to the pandemic.

RECOGNIZING THE RIGHT TO REFUSE UNSAFE WORK

The COVID-19 pandemic means that workers’ knowledge of their occupational health and safety rights has never been more important. The right to refuse unsafe work is just one of these rights. BCNU developed a flowchart on the process for exercising an

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THE RIGHT TO REFUSE UNSAFE WORK Nurses and all workers in BC have the right to refuse unsafe work if they have reasonable cause to believe that not doing so would create an undue hazard to the health and safety of any person. The procedure for refusal is outlined here.

01

YES

SAFETY FIRST continued from page 19 employee’s right to refuse unsafe work (see sidebar at right). This resource has been available to members since the pandemic began.

To exercise this right, a worker must have reasonable cause to believe that an undue hazard is present that may expose them to risk of injury or occupational disease.

“Our internal survey found that 72 percent of members report that their employers have restricted access to PPE, and over a third said they felt pressured not to use PPE due to supply issues,” says Sorensen. “We believe that failing to have access to appropriate PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic is a glaring example of a possible undue hazard to a nurse’s safety – so it’s important nurses understand their rights.”

Sorensen says BCNU will continue to advocate for members’ safety and well-being into the fall and winter months – especially as the pandemic wears on. And she encourages all members to contact the union’s Safety and Support Phone Line if they have concerns about any OH&S issues in their workplace. •

MEMBER RESOURCE This occupational health and safety rights poster was just one of the many resources BCNU produced for members working through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Do you believe that your work is unsafe?

NO

Immediately report to your supervisor/ manager that you are refusing unsafe work. The employer must then investigate and remedy any unsafe condition. The employer may temporarily assign you to other duties.

Your manager may disagree with your assessment or say that the actions they took solved the problem. You do not have to agree if you believe the work remains unsafe.

02

Continue work. If there are other issues around patient care, complete a Patient Safety Learning System (PSLS) report.

If you are concerned about your professional practice, contact a PR Advocate or steward.

Are you now satisfied that the work is safe?

NO

YES

Your work refusal continues. Your manager must now investigate further with you and a worker representative of the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC), or a worker of your choosing if a JOHSC member is unavailable. BCNU stewards can be used in this role.

Report to the Workplace Health Call Centre at 1.866.922.9464 or document formally with your employer via their internal procedures.

Contact BCNU to report your work refusal at: healthandsafety@bcnu.org

In the presence of both you, and the JOHSC member or your chosen representative, your manager must conduct an investigation and remedy any unsafe conditions.

03

Are you now satisfied that the work is safe?

NO

YES

Your work refusal continues. Both you and your manager must now immediately contact WorkSafeBC who will conduct an investigation. WorkSafeBC can be reached at 1.888.621.7233. Following this, contact the Workplace Health Call Centre if you have not already done so.

WorkSafeBC will now determine if it is safe to proceed with work. If WorkSafeBC does not believe the workplace is safe, they will order the employer to correct the problem.

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“GET CURIOUS”

ABOUT SELF-CARE Mental health practitioner and registered nurse Amanda Burns explains why selfcare and compassion need to form the cornerstones of nursing culture while we continue to fight for safer working conditions

MANDA BURNS HAS A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE on mental health in the nursing profession. The Pitt Meadows nurse works as a registered nurse and registered psychiatric nurse, as well as a registered clinical counsellor, running a private practice for nurses and first responders.

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Burns moved to BC from Ireland when she was five years old with her parents and older siblings. She explains that from an early age she was intrigued by how the brain works and how feelings and emotions can dictate our lives.

Her desire to pursue a career in mental health was furthered after she grew up witnessing someone close to her

struggle with mental health challenges.

These personal experiences led Burns to enrol in a psychiatric nursing program after graduating from high school.

After completing her training at age 19, Burns went straight into work at an acute psychiatric nursing unit at Royal Columbian Hospital, where she still works today.

“I was able to administer psycho-active drugs before I was able to legally drink,” Burns jokes when reflecting on the beginning of her career in mental health.

In the early years of her career Burns’s father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. This led her to continue training and receive her RN designation so that she could work in palliative care.

Having established herself both as an RN and RPN, Burns recalls that working in acute psychiatric care and palliative care gave her an initial sense of the links between the health of the body and the health of the psyche.

“I think that’s where, early on, I feel like I got it. I understood that we’re not cut off from the head up ... or the neck down,” she recalls.

Over her career, Burns continued to work in psychiatric nursing while exploring other areas of nursing practice. She has worked in palliative care, medicine, homecare and as a sexual assault examiner. These experiences underpin her approach to mental health, which she describes as a holistic outlook that seeks to tackle not only psychological factors, but also biological and societal influences. This approach is the foundation of Burns’ private practice, which she set up a few years ago specifically to support nurses and first responders. She says her decision was made partly out of frustration at the nature of hospital work, where Burns found she was only ever able to help people at the extreme end of the mental health continuum.

We’ve got to be more open and informed about our own mental health and the implications and consequences of not tending to ourselves.”

Amanda Burns

“People walk along in that continuum all the time,” says Burns, explaining that she was keen to support people with their everyday challenges, not only when they were in crisis.

But it was a meeting a fire fighter who was also working as a mental health counsellor for first responders that inspired Burns to apply the same approach to supporting nurses.

Burns, who holds a master’s degree in counselling psychology, now splits her time between her work as a nurse at Royal Columbian and her private practice, which supports nurses and first responders coping with the mental-health challenges of their roles.

Burns says the findings contained in the recently published UBC School of Nursing survey of BC nurses’ psychological health and safety during the pandemic come as no surprise (see story on page 17).

“Nurses have been dealing with that [mental injury] consistently, whether it was before COVID or after COVID,” she remarks. “The public is more aware right now of all health-care profes-

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HEALTH & SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE

SELF-CARE: THE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF “SELF-CARE.” IT HAS ALMOST BECOME have improved stamina, passion, empathy a cliche. But no matter how indulgent, fancy, and healthier relationships with yourself or simplistic the term may sound, the fact and with others. remains that caring for yourself is critical.

4. Small but meaningful self-care tasks. If Period. you are task-focused, you can engage in Given its importance, we need to ask short but meaningful self-care activities, ourselves why we often wait so long like taking a short walk, doing some before practising self-care. And we should breathing exercises, or laughing at a joke also understand that leaving it to the or funny memory. Practise saying “no,” last minute makes it more likely we will stop over-thinking and put away selfadopt “extreme” versions of self-care, critical thoughts. like cruises, spa weekends, or completely 5. Self-compassion is a requirement. disconnecting from others to recover.

Genuine self-care begins with recognizing Do you feel like self-care equates to that self-compassion is a crucial part selfishness? Does the idea make you feel of your emotional, psychological and guilty? It shouldn’t. There’s no shortage physical well-being. This means managing of research that shows the importance things as best you can without criticizing of self-care, including allowing ourselves or punishing yourself for not doing them to experience our feelings of vulnerability exactly the way you imagine you should. without shame.

Be careful about thinking you’re feeling Self-care is an important practice if “sorry for yourself” or being self-centered. you want to function at a consistent level, Is it really true? What would you advise a whether physically, emotionally or mentally. friend?

You can avoid caring for yourself until a crisis 6. Not all self-care activities are equal. hits, but why wait until your brain is ready to Self-care does not mean doing anything implode or explode? If you feel guilty about that feels good. Unhealthy coping practising self-care, ask yourself if you’re any mechanisms such as food, alcohol and good to others if you’re depriving your physirisk-taking activities may help you escape ology of proper functioning. your stressors, but consider the cost.

Self-destructive activities may help you Consider the following: to regulate challenging emotions, but the 1. Don’t kid yourself. Workaholism or the relief is temporary. There is a difference busy mindset is not a virtue. It’s not pretty between self-care activities and when you’re exhausted and irritable. A unhealthy coping mechanisms. Your body work-life or task-self balance is key. You’re will know the difference. not useful to anyone if you’re emotionally 7. Yes, you ALWAYS have time for some and physically spent. self-care. It’s true. You always have time.

2. Stop existing and start living. You have You have time to sit for five minutes and a responsibility to care for your own notice your breath. You have time to health, and the good news is you are notice how the floor feels beneath your “response-able!” feet. You have time to see colours around 3. Benefits, benefits, benefits. Self-care you and decide what one you like best. You improves your physical health. You’re more have time to notice the sounds of nature productive, have improved concentration and the touch of something comforting. and immunity (fewer colds and flu) and The brain uses your five senses to feel enhanced self-esteem. You gain increased safe, so please, help it out. self-knowledge and understanding. You

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And most important: Make sure your self-care is designed explicitly for you. There are many different self-care practices. No one type of activity will suit everyone. One person may like hanging with friends and going out on the town, while another enjoys the solitude of a good movie or book. Some like yoga and others running.

Some benefit from an excellent fine wine, and others from time in a garden. Don’t let others shame you about your own personal selfcare style – find a style that works for you.

Self-attunement. Are you checking in with yourself? Are you noticing what’s going on in your body? What is your emotional and physical battery level? Are you running low?

Do you have enough battery life to keep going, or do you need a re-charge? If you don’t check the level of your tank, you may not notice when you have no gas left. If your self-battery is at 20 percent, can you do that 60 percent activity? Successful self-care is done proactively, not reactively. • “The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.” ~ Steve Maraboli SOURCE: WWW.SELFMATTERS.CA

sionals because of COVID but the issues are not new.”

Burns notes that COVID-19 has exacerbated existing mental-health stressors that are all too familiar to nurses: workplace violence, shift work, working short, policy limitations and challenging patients. She adds to this list the moral injury that results from “rigid bureaucracies,” and the additional harm that arises when organizational barriers prevent nurses from fulfilling their obligations to care for their patients.

Burns also says the public health restrictions preventing family visits to patients and residents make nurses susceptible to the emotional residue of their patients’ trauma.

“The psychological health of patients could be supported by family and friends. But now they don’t have that.

So, the only person they have to meet their physical needs and tend to their psychological safety is their nurse – and you simply can’t,” she explains. “So we already feel like we’re failing. We are witnessing fear, terror, distress...and that feeling is compounded when we actually can’t do anything about it.”

Burns warns the most significant impact that COVID-19 may have on nurses’ mental health lies in its uncertainty. “We’re a tough bunch of people.

We can keep pushing through, but everyone needs to know there’s an end in sight.”

T

ackling organization barriers to improved workplace mental health is a long-term goal that requires ongoing commitment. To date, real progress has been made, and BCNU is committed to creating accessible mental health supports for its members.

The union’s personal resiliency workshops are designed to help nurses

When we attune into ourselves, we can attune into other people.”

Amanda Burns

identify things like compassion fatigue and signs of post-traumatic stress disorder in themselves and their colleagues.

Many members have found the workshop invaluable.

BCNU’s focus on mental health also led to the negotiation of the Canadian National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace during 2015 Nurses’ Bargaining Association contract talks. This standard is a set of guidelines that commits health employers to develop a system of positive factors that support psychologically healthy and safe workplaces.

Implementation of the standard will take years and much effort from both the union and employers. But, once complete, nurses will be one of the first group of workers who will be able to refer to a normative measure of workplace psychological health.

So, while nurses continue to fight for safer workplaces, Burns poses a vital question: How can nurses help themselves and their colleagues navigate through the extreme stresses of their role, especially when there is no clear indication of when the global pandemic might abate?

Burns advocates for a response grounded in better self-care. She also makes a passionate call for the evolu-

tion of an increasingly compassionate culture within the nursing community.

However, she is clear that achieving these goals means challenging beliefs and attitudes that block nurses’ ability to meet their own self-care needs and those of their colleagues.

Burns says the close bond between nurses has the power to help colleagues through dark times. However, she notes that the stigma surrounding mental health, and some people’s behaviour when confronted by it, can prevent those in need from seeking help before they hit a crisis point.

“Nobody likes the words ‘prejudice’ or ‘discrimination,’ but we have to have real conversations [about this issue],” she argues. “There’s still misinformation about what depression and anxiety is and how it shows up – it’s not a personal weakness,” she stresses.

A common concern among nurses, according to Burns, involves the fear of being seen as a “weak link.” To avoid the judgment of colleagues, many nurses believe that they should simply “suck it up” when it comes to dealing with mental illness. Burns explains why this attitude is flawed: “If you’ve had a 12-hour shift and you don’t go to the bathroom once, you come home and instantly you know you have to tend to that. You’re not going ‘oh gee, my bladder should suck it up.’

You understand that it’s a physiological reality and you respond to your body’s needs accordingly,” she explains.

“Unfortunately, with mental health, we do prioritize other people and we do judge ourselves and each other rather than just taking those few little minutes to tend to the physiology of the body and let that whole system settle down.”

This fear of judgment is often unincontinued on page 27

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HEALTH & SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE

RESEARCH FOCUSES ON MENTAL HEALTH continued from page 17 Sorensen. “This study reveals the personal and professional sacrifices nurses have made over the last seven months, and the toll it is taking on them.”

Sorensen argues that mental health support for nurses and other healthcare workers is more important than ever as they face COVID-19’s second wave this fall and winter – all while also attempting to meet the government’s surgery re-start program targets.

A question on suicide ideation was added to the follow-up survey and the responses expose a concerning trend.

BC nurses’ answers were compared to Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) national suicide statistics.

The survey found that BC nurses’ rates for suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts were two to three times higher than the national average. An alarming 30 percent of nurses also reported they had thought about committing suicide in their lifetime, significantly higher than the 11.8 percent reported by the national PHAC statistic.

“The numbers on suicide and suicidal thoughts highlight the need for more mental-health resources for nurses, and show that many of us are suffering in silence,” says Sorensen.

The UBC study also offered a glimpse at how COVID-19 has impacted working relationships between nurses, their managers and within health-care teams overall.

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Forty-three percent of acute-care nurses surveyed rated the transparency on organizational pandemic decisions as poor or failing. Many nurses said they weren’t confident with their manager’s handling of the pandemic and reported that their relationships with their teams worsened during the COVID-19 crisis.

“This study reveals the personal and professional sacrifices nurses have made over the last seven months, and the toll it is taking on them.”

BCNU President Christine Sorensen

“We’ve heard from nurses who feel abandoned by their management teams while outbreaks are being reported across BC, so this data is not surprising to us,” says Sorensen. “Pandemic planning and preparedness were not at the levels they should have been at before COVID-19 and we’re seeing nurses suffer because of this.”

The findings also expose the heavy burden COVID-19 has placed on nurses’ personal lives with 80 percent saying

they fear contracting COVID-19 at work and 86 percent reporting they are extremely concerned about bringing the virus home to their loved ones.

Questions around personal protective equipment also saw concerning responses, with 49 percent of nurses reporting that they don’t believe the PPE they use is of high quality and 42 percent reporting they don’t have access to the PPE they need to perform their work safely.

PRE-COVID CONCERNS

BCNU and UBC’s School of Nursing first teamed up in 2019 on a joint study that looked at the need for mental-health support, long before the pandemic hit. That study, which consisted of 4,462 responses from nurses around BC, again exposed concerning gaps in mental health support for nurses working in all sectors of the health-care system. In long-term care, a staggering 85 percent reported being exposed to physical assault and 54 percent reported high levels of burnout. In acute care, 57 percent of nurses reported high levels of burnout, with 50 percent above the cut-off point for PTSD. “Nurses are professionals, and committed to their patients, but this research collected before and during the pandemic shows they have been suffering in silence for too long,” says Sorensen. “We are committed to continuing to collect this important data and help shed a light on the realities facing health-care workers today, and to encourage all parties to come together to find solutions.” •

COMPASSIONATE CAREGIVER Royal Columbian Hospital nurse Amanda Burns is a registered clinical counsellor who specializes in helping nurses face the mental challenges of the job.

GET CURIOUS ABOUT SELF-CARE continued from page 25

always tell people, ‘just get curious.’ Check in, and not just when things are bad.

“What’s been going on in my thoughts lately? What’s going on with the emotions? Are they serving me? And tentionally generated by the attitudes of again, tuning into the body. Am I eating colleagues.

“You’ll always take five minutes to tend more? Am I eating less? Am I drinking enough fluid? How am I sleeping? How to that [full bladder], or to eat, but if you want to take five minutes to go for a walk, are my relationships? Am I able to feel connected? Am I socializing? Am I able people look at you like you’re insane.”

While acknowledging that nurses need to be present with the people in my life that I love? Am I able to be present in to vent their frustrations, Burns explains my hobbies and my activities? Am I just how this can serve to discourage open going through the motions? discussion around mental health: “And, when we attune into ourselves, “We hear comments like, ‘oh that grumpy person,’ or, ‘that nurse, she’s got we can attune into other people. Are you noticing a colleague is more irritaissues.’ We hear that, even if we mean it ble, maybe calling in sick more, maybe lightly. I am not saying that we have to showing up to work sick, maybe taking constantly watch what we’re saying but too much overtime and working conwe have to really be careful about the words we’re choosing. Absolutely, nurses stantly, maybe they are quieter?

Burns says she always makes time for blow off steam. We absolutely love dark humour. But we have to be careful about self-care despite her own busy life. the terminology we’re using,” she warns.

“I love spending time with friends “Unfortunately, when nursing pressures and family, I love walking with my dog, and nursing shortages are there...you end I like binge-watching shows,” she says. up getting mad at the nurse rather than “I don’t need to come to any grand conthe organization. That’s scary. The work clusions, I just need to give myself five itself is already taxing but we can’t forget minutes to breathe. They say emotions to care for each other.” exist for only 90 seconds. But we keep There is no question Burns is passionate that emotional content going by either in her call for nurses to display compasdenying it or attaching assumptions sion towards each other and to facilitate about what that emotion is. So, I just sit safe discussion around mental health, but with things and I notice how my body is her overriding message is for individual responding and what it’s telling me.” nurses to take charge of their own selfAs someone who experiences the care. This begins with simply noticing challenges of point-of-care nursing what’s going on with mind and body. every day, and who is a counsellor “What I really want to advocate for is supporting nurses suffering from the nurses to be way more attuned. Notice demands of their role, Burns offers a what’s going on so that you can get to it unique perspective on how to handle sooner and be much more proactive. I the pressure the profession places on

nurses’ mental health. She calls on nurses to be honest with themselves and others, and to have real conversations about mental health.

That honesty also means the onus of improving mental health within the profession falls not just on employers, but on nurses and the nursing community too, she says. It’s a message born out of compassion for colleagues and a passion for the profession.

Attitudes about mental health are improving. Yet Burns says she still meets nurses who have significant fear about the nursing college learning they are going for counselling or having mental health issues. “There’s a big fear of punishment. But I always tell them that the college identifies psychological fitness as a standard of practice – so it’s not attending to mental health issues that’s the problem,” she explains. “Selfcare, both physical and mental, is just simply good practice for our personal and our professional lives.”

Despite these challenges, Burns is whole-heartedly optimistic about nurses’ growing appetite for conversations around mental health.

“I’m unapologetically encouraged and hopeful that nursing culture can make huge, positive shifts moving forward,” she says. “The most courageous thing we can is to be willing to be vulnerable. I think the time is now. I think COVID has thrown it right in our faces. As a society, and definitely as a professional group, we’ve got to start doing that. We’ve got to be more open and informed about our own mental health and the implications and consequences of not tending to ourselves.” •

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HEALTH & SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE

STEPPING OUT OF THE SHADOWS A story about a nursing student’s experience of bullying in a clinical environment

W

E LOSE OURSELVES in the pages of comics and graphic novels for escapism and entertainment.

Whether fantasy and science fiction, or graphic non-fiction, the stories tell of the fantastic feats of superheroes or the desperation of a zombie apocalypse.

A group of faculty and students at the UBC School of Nursing have given a new reason to explore the graphic novella.

Not for escapism, but instead to address a reality we wish were merely a story in a comic – the very real story of bullying in nursing.

Together, the student/faculty partnership authored the digital graphic novella Stepping Out of the Shadows – A Story About Bullying in Nursing. The novella was made possible by the UBC Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund, created to enrich student learning with innovative educational enhancements. The fund is financed entirely by a portion of tuition paid by UBC Vancouver students.

Stepping Out of the Shadows tells the story of student nurse Alex. She is paired with an RN and their worlds collide in a painful way – Alex becomes the direct target of bullying. The novella depicts her experience and offers some coping and response strategies for anyone who may witness or experience bullying.

Workplace bullying is widespread in Canada and is a significant problem for

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the nursing profession. According to a 2011 CBC News report, 40 percent of Canadians have experienced one or more acts of workplace bullying at least once a week. And a 2010 study on bullying in the nursing profession in the journal Medscape found that that between 21 and 46 percent of nurses experienced or witnessed bullying.

The novella is part of the nursing school’s CRAB project, and the latest in a series of student-led initiatives to address bullying in nursing, supported by faculty partners. CRAB stands for Cognitive Rehearsal to Address Bullying, an approach where participants are given scripts to practice in advance of encountering an incidence of bullying. The project’s charter is founded on the understanding that, when faced with bullying and harassment, the common strategy of “staying silent” doesn’t work.

IMAGES AND WORDS A graphic novella published by the UBC School of Nursing and illustrated by local artist Rene Rebora is the latest art-based education tool developed by the university to help address bullying in nursing education.

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HEALTH & SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE

WORKPLACE BULLYING OUR TOP TEN TIPS RESEARCHERS AT THE UBC SCHOOL OF Nursing have developed a series of educational tools to help students facing bullying and harassment. Their tips below are helpful for students and working nurses alike.

1

Understand what bullying is.

WorkSafeBC’s legislated definition is a good place to start. You can find it at www.worksafebc.com

2

Reach out if you witness or experience bullying. Don’t do nothing.

3

Identify your ‘go to’ person within the institution in order to have a safe(r) space to disclose and discuss.

4

Get the support you need. Witnessing or experiencing bullying can affect our mental health and wellness.

5

Name bullying for what it is and know that it is not your fault.

6

Check if your institutions (education and health care) have specific policies in place to address bullying. Are there clear and transparent reporting mechanisms? Are policies and procedures respectful of all parties involved?

7

Attend or advocate for bullying content in nursing curricula in schools and health care environments.

8

Use strategies such as cognitive rehearsal to practice scripts, then practice, practice, practice.

9

Know that bullying is not simply an interpersonal interaction. Consider the context in which bullying occurs.

Are there structures or processes in place that allow bullying to occur?

10

Look after yourselves and each other.

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According to the project, research studies have shown that the likelihood of nurses and nursing students witnessing or experiencing bullying during their careers ranges from 17 percent to over 90 percent.

Indeed, bullying is so prevalent that nurses are often characterized as “eating their young.” The CRAB project is also based on the recognition that nursing students may tolerate bullying as a “rite of passage” and may not report it because of fears of increased bullying, negative evaluations or limited professional opportunities. And, sometimes, students are unaware of school policies, unsure how to report bullying, respond to bullying by doing “nothing” and/or believe that nothing would be done if they were to report bullying.

The novella’s lead author Kathy O’Flynn-Magee is Associate Professor of Teaching Emerita at the nursing school. She explains how the CRAB project began.

“A group of students surveyed their peers on bullying. It wasn’t formal research, but they had some alarming results, so they created a poster and wrote a letter to the School of Nursing asking for a policy so students would know where to go if they witness or experience bullying,” she recalls.

“That poster caught my attention so, as BSN associate director, I thought ‘I’m going to address that,’” says O’Flynn-Magee. Researchers then conducted a qualitative research study with schools of nursing and other health-care professional schools. “We were wondering what other schools did when their students might experience or witness bullying, how they supported those students, if those students knew where to go, etc.,” she explains. The research resulted in a published paper,

Interrupting the Cycle of Bullying Witnessed or Experienced by Nursing Students: An Ethical and Relational Action Framework. “From that we created a guiding, three-prong framework that includes policy, education and clinical practice partnerships,” O’Flynn-Magee says.

Two of the CRAB project’s prongs – policy and clinical practice partnerships – are focused on using research to help develop reporting mechanisms so that students know where to go if they witness or experience bullying, and on working with leaders in health-care, education and government to address bullying at the systems level.

On the policy front, O’Flynn-Magee highlights an institutional flaw revealed by the project researchers.

“From our interviews, we know that everyone who’s a nurse is very familiar with bullying. I haven’t met many nurses who said, ‘I’ve never experienced it.’ We also learned that, despite policies everywhere, including zero tolerance, it [bullying] is very, very prevalent. So those policies are not

STEPPING OUT OF THE SHADOWS – A Story About Bullying in Nursing Read the digital graphic novella on your mobile device.

working. Sometimes they’re pushing it underground and we’re left with a false sense of reassurance.”

The project’s education prong is where arts-based methods are used to address bullying in nursing education.

Stepping Out of the Shadows is the CRAB project’s latest educational tool, but it is just one of many.

“We’ve been doing a lot of forum theatre,” says O’Flynn-Magee, explaining that this tool offers participants the opportunity to watch a play and then step up on stage to try out a different way of engaging in a conflict situation.

“We’re also working on a ‘train the trainer’ movie about doing forum theatre. We use bullying as our example but really it’s about using forum theatre as a pedagogy,” she adds. “This will help people learn how to do that.”

Addressing bullying is a major priority for BCNU, and part of the union’s long-term goal of achieving positive and supportive workplace cultures that promote psychological health. Every February BCNU encourages members to participate in Pink Shirt Day, a madein-Canada anti-bullying initiative that began in 2007.

The union’s focus on mental health also saw it negotiate the Canadian National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace into the Nurses’ Bargaining Association contract in 2015. BCNU was the first union to negotiate this standard, which includes a set of guidelines focused on the development of a system of positive factors that support psychologically healthy and safe workplaces. A workplace free from harassment, and which promotes civility and respect, is one of the 13 healthy workplace factors contained in the standard, and health employers and the ministry of health have agreed that psychologically healthy workplaces are “a vital requirement for

a healthy, engaged and productive health-care workforce.”

The implementation of the standard will take years and much effort from both the union and employers but, once complete, nurses will be one of the first groups of workers who will able to refer to a normative measure of psychological health if they feel they are being devalued and disrespected by their employer.

In the meantime, new respectful workplace policies created by WorkSafeBC in 2013 are tools that all healthcare workers can use to address bullying and harassment in the workplace. Section 5.1(1)(a)(ii) of the Workers Compensation Act requires employers to address bullying and harassment as they would any other hazard in the workplace, by taking all reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of their workers.

BCNU members are encouraged to review their employer’s respectful workplace policy and follow it. If they witness or are a target of bullying and harassment, they should report it to a supervisor and contact a BCNU steward. Members can also reach out to their union steward or email BCNU’s Occupational Health & Safety team at healthandsafety@bcnu.org.

As the union strives to support members and students affected by bullying, Stepping Out of the Shadows reminds readers in a traditionally escapist format that when this behaviour exists, escapism is not an option – the problem is real

and must be addressed. For someone who is the target of this abusive behaviour, there is hope that resources like Stepping Out of the Shadows can help further union and employer efforts to confront and eliminate bullying and make this behavior a thing of the past. • Read Stepping Out of the Shadows on www.letsact.ca.

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CELEBRATING

OUR PROFESSION CELEBRATING

EACH OTHER

Year of the Nurse sees BCNU members rise to face the challenge of COVID-19

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CNU members and nurses around the world felt a well-deserved sense of pride last year when, for the first time, the World Health Organization (WHO) proclaimed 2020 the Year of the Nurse and Midwife. The year was chosen to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, one of the founders of modern nursing.

And how significant that WHO 2020 proclamation has been.

Little could we have known in 2019 that 2020 would indeed become a year that has seen nurses rise to the challenge that is the COVID-19 pandemic. And as 2020 comes to a close, we can look back and see how nurses have played a critical role in saving lives and improving health on a provincial, national and global level.

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FEATURE

Nurses have made a serious difference in the lives of patients, residents and clients.

“Nurses should feel proud that the WHO is shining a light on them,” says BCNU President Christine Sorensen.

“But nurses will be the first to tell you that the best recognition comes in the form of action,” she adds, noting how the challenges of the pandemic have only magnified the chronic problems nurses face every day in their working lives.

The best recognition comes in the form of action.”

BCNU President Christine Sorensen

The nursing profession was already seeing its share of challenges with increased patient acuity, complex population needs and a health-care system struggling to meet demand. These factors have played a large role in the moral and professional distress many nurses are experiencing.

“Before the pandemic, we had ample evidence showing how nurses were being impacted by the nursing shortage, and suffering from significant burnout due to high workloads,” notes Sorensen.

She says the election of a majority provincial government this year means there’s an opportunity to turn the pub-

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lic’s appreciation and goodwill towards nurses into actionable results that can benefit patients too. “It is more important than ever for the newly formed government to address nurses’ key priorities, including confronting the opioid crisis, investing in seniors’ care and addressing mental health needs,” she argues.

The COVID-19 pandemic also provides a compelling window into the emotional and physical toll that nurses experience in the face of a public health threat that’s still not fully understood.

Nurses and other health-care workers are worried about the risks they face each working day. Comprising about 20 percent of COVID-19 cases in Canada, they are more likely to contract the virus than the general population.

The pandemic is a story of courage, dedication and professionalism by health-care workers, whose voices have gone largely unheard. Underprotected, under-resourced and under-appreciated, they continue to provide care, despite grave fears for their own safety and the safety of colleagues, loved ones and patients.

When the WHO proclaimed 2020 The Year of the Nurse and Midwife, it identified key investment areas that could influence and improve health services around the world. This included investment in more nurseled services, making nurses central to primary health care, employing more specialist nurses and investing in nursing leadership.

“Governments and policy makers must heed these calls if the promise of 2020’s WHO declaration is to be realized,” says Sorensen. “Action, not just sentiment, is what nurses expect and deserve.” •

NURSES SUPPORTING NURSES Earlier this year, BCNU encouraged members to take time to thank their colleagues and their nursing community for their ongoing efforts to provide safe patient care. We saw an outpouring of recognition and gratitude during National Nursing Week, when hundreds of members wrote to tell us what their co-workers mean to them, and to acknowledge the important work they do. We’ve profiled some of these members and asked them to tell us more about what their co-workers mean to them.

Eagle Ridge Hospital’s Hiromi Okano and Oh Baek.

OH BAEK Region: Simon Fraser

Celebrating Our Profession What’s your unit or specialty?

I work at Eagle Ridge Hospital on an acute medical unit that was turned into a COVID-19 unit.

How long have you been nursing?

Just a little shy of 10 years.

Why did you become a nurse and when did you know that nursing was for you?

I used to work as a chef and one day I was cooling down after grilling endless steaks.

I randomly asked a young co-worker who was prepping the salad bar, “What do you want to be later?” Her eyes sparkled instantly. She told me proudly about her plan to follow in her grandmother’s path and become nurse. I was intrigued and later decided to explore her grandmother’s path as well. (My co-worker did not become a nurse after all.)

What do you appreciate most about your fellow nurses?

My fellow nurses on the unit consistently assured me that “together, we can do this.” Sometimes even a simple nod was assuring and comforting, as we understood what we needed to do before entering a positive COVID-19 patient’s room.

I knew that nursing was for me when, at one of the early BCNU meetings I attended, someone said out loud, “We need all kinds of nurses.”

Why do you want to acknowledge Hiromi Okano?

I would like to especially acknowledge the unsung hero Hiromi Okano, who is always friendly and caring. But this time she really surprised us. Early on in the pandemic she made handmade nonmedical hair caps and gave them to her nurse colleagues for free.

How would you describe the work you do in one word?

Kaleidoscopic. You witness birth and death, and ever changing human drama in between.

How does COVID-19 make you feel?

It made me somewhat uncomfortable at first. But soon I tried to be positive and stay focused every day. COVID19 made our lives difficult. However, it was a great opportunity to reflect on the many aspects of my work and life. I appreciate my co-workers wholeheartedly at this time and we’ve built strong bonds despite the challenges. Personally, I’ve become more conscious of my acts and thoughts towards others, realizing that, as human beings we are not separate.

We’re all living in a global village.

Name one thing on your nursing bucket list.

Doing one night-shift fully staffed and watching the northern lights along with some child patients who are sick – in the wide-open wilderness of Yellowknife.

Celebrating Each Other Oh on Hiromi

On her days off, she would spend an hour to make each cap using a 30-yearold sewing machine. Each of her 60 caps was impeccably sewn, one stitch to another, as a symbol of our solidarity.

In these troubled times Hiromo’s altruism means a lot and simply needs to be recognized.

I am truly blessed to work with her. Every time I see my team wearing the caps, I feel proud and resilient. She did not just make caps, she built grassroots comradery. The caps brought the nurses together and conveyed a silent message that we care for each other in these difficult times. This crisis presented us with a new challenge.

However, it made us even stronger and reminded us of our noble duties as nurses.

Thank you Hiromi, you are a true gem on our unit.

St. Paul’s Hospital nurses Brad Chase and Tabatha Palmer.

TABATHA PALMER Region: Vancouver Metro

Celebrating Our Profession What is your unit or specialty, and where do you work?

General surgery, St. Paul’s Hospital.

How long have you been nursing?

Thirty-two years.

Why did you become a nurse and when did you know that nursing was for you?

Growing up, my mother was a nurses’ aide. She would often come home and tell me about her patients and the other nurses she worked with. It moved me to the point where I wanted to be a nurse to make a difference too.

I knew nursing was for me when I realized: 1. I had a strong stomach for blood and guts, there wasn’t too much that fazed me!

2. I am a night owl by nature, perfect for night shifts!

3. Most importantly, I realized the difference I could make in my patients lives!

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FEATURE

TABATHA PALMER continued How would you describe the work you do in one word?

Rewarding!

How does COVID-19 make you feel?

Vulnerable – like I could catch it and die!

Name one thing on your nursing bucket list.

To teach the next generation.

how challenging the patient is, he just goes in there, even if they’re mean and hurtful or hateful. He just holds it together.

He is a real example to the younger nurses just starting out. In fact, he’s an example to all of us – he’s very non-judgmental to his patients. He is fabulous to work with and I know he’s got my back.

Tabatha on Brad Why do you want to acknowledge Brad Chase?

I’ve known Brad since 1993. I have never seen him display anything less than complete professionalism, compassion and selflessness towards his patients or colleagues. He is one of a kind!

His sense of humor is so contagious.

My nickname for him is “Bradwiser” like Budweiser because he is so smart and wise, and he holds it together when the world is falling apart.

In times of real craziness, he’s your go to – he just lends a hand. And when we have really difficult patients, whatever the reason, he shows absolute professionalism. No matter

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How would you describe the work you do in one word?

Life-changing.

How does COVID-19 make you feel?

COVID-19 has made me go through a mix of emotions including fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. However, I have learned to navigate uncertain situations by being flexible, and taking it day by day instead of being overwhelmed.

What do you appreciate most about your fellow nurses?

The hard physical, emotional, and stressful situations we face can be very challenging. At the end of a shift, we are all still standing and still able to smile and appreciate each other. I appreciate their resilience and willingness to come back tomorrow and do it all over again!

Celebrating Each Other

process and to assist them to get better from their current struggles or illness. My family also influenced me as most of my aunts in the US are nurses.

They have encouraged me to take up nursing as it is a stable and secure career.

Name one thing on your nursing bucket list.

I would like to be a part of a medical mission team someday.

Surrey Memorial Hospital’s Allen Dela Torre and Sherry Dayrit.

ALLEN DELA TORRE Region: South Fraser Valley

Celebrating Our Profession What’s your unit or specialty?

I work in surgical day care at Surrey Memorial Hospital.

How long have you been nursing?

Sixteen years.

Why did you become a nurse and when did you know that nursing was for you?

I have always wanted to work in the medical field since I was a child. I like to help people as it is truly rewarding to make a difference in someone’s life, to be able to be a part of their healing

What do you appreciate most about your fellow nurses?

I appreciate my surgical day care colleagues who are always willing to help.

Even after a busy day, we acknowledge each other’s hard work and are grateful for each other. I also appreciate the good laughs we have – especially after a stressful day. It makes a huge difference when we know we have each other’s back and we come back again the next day to do it all over again.

Celebrating each other Allen on Sherry Why do you want to acknowledge Sherry Dayrit?

I appreciate the care I received from Sherry. I met her while I was admitted on T7, Surrey Memorial Hospital’s

post-procedure unit. As a nurse myself, I am so used to providing care to others and not being cared for as a patient. It was different and difficult for me being on the other end, asking for help. Sherry listened to my concerns and acted immediately. She cared for me in the best way she could with empathy and compassion. I am grateful for the care she provided. I am also thankful to the other staff of T7.

where my passion was. I wanted to see the results of my actions immediately.

I wanted to see proof that I was contributing and making a difference in someone’s life. After I completed my degree, I applied to nursing.

How would you describe the work you do in one word?

Fulfilling.

How does COVID-19 make you feel?

It makes me sad. Sad for those who have lost loved ones and for those whose lives and livelihoods have been indirectly affected. Sad to see the fear.

Sad to see the division it has created in society.

Vancouver General Hospital’s Patricia Khuu, Beata Zakrewska and Amanda Rollins.

Name one thing on your nursing bucket list.

I want to find a role where I can continue to make visible, immediate differences in someone’s day, but that doesn’t involve night shifts.

Celebrating Each Other

PATRICIA KHUU Region: Central Vancouver

Celebrating Our Profession What is your unit or specialty?

General Surgery & Vascular Surgery, Central Vancouver region.

How long have you been nursing?

Eight years.

Why did you become a nurse and when did you know that nursing was for you?

Nursing as a career was always in the back of my mind in high school. I was halfway through my science degree when I realized I was impatient and that science at a molecular level wasn’t

Patricia on Amanda and Beata

I can’t count how many meal-breaks they’ve skipped and how many shifts end with them staying late into the evening. They are at our side for our 12-hour shifts. They deal with complex patients and families, support a dynamic workforce of nurses and allied health staff, and must juggle the seemingly endless demand for surgical beds.

Amanda and Beata are yin and yang.

They are very different in how they carry out their roles and how they cope.

Amanda does her role with grace and a steady hand. Beata does it with a flair for drama and high energy. They both make me appreciate what we can accomplish as a team. When either of them is away, it is a struggle to find those who are willing to step into their shoes. I think that says it all.

We have had the luxury of taking these two women for granted and I want to take this opportunity to thank them for showing up every day with a smile on their face and the drive to achieve quality care no matter what the day throws at them.

Why do you want to acknowledge Amanda and Beata?

I have worked on my surgical floor for over eight years. As I have grown as a nurse, I have taken on more responsibilities and have been exposed to different leadership roles.

I believe the most important leadership role is our charge nurse, our patient care coordinator. It is also a role that is often unfortunately overlooked and underappreciated. On my ward, Amanda and Beata share this challenging position and I believe they do it with the utmost integrity and passion for patient care.

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FEATURE

How would you describe the work you do in one word?

That’s a hard one. I would say “temperamental.” There are crazy highs and lows and you never know when either is coming.

How does COVID-19 make you feel?

It makes me feel uncertain. We’ve been very lucky to have been COVID-free here, as far as we know, but there is so much uncertainty about how the situation will progress and what our lives may look like in the near and distant future.

Atlin Health Centre’s Rosie O’Reilly and Jennifer Stronge.

JENNIFER STRONGE Region: North West

Celebrating Our Profession What’s your unit or specialty?

Atlin has a population of roughly 250500, depending on the season. In a primary care clinic with a two-nurse station and the occasional physician visit from Whitehorse our specialty is being a generalist. We do everything from immunizations to delivering babies, suturing wounds and running codes.

How long have you been nursing?

I graduated from the University College of the Cariboo in 2003.

Why did you become a nurse and when did you know that nursing was for you?

I worked as a BC Ambulance Service ambulance attendant and ski patroller.

I thought it would be great to be able to do more for people than what I could do in those roles. Nursing is also less likely to leave me with a broken leg!

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the learning curve of a new environment, not just in the health centre but by making me feel welcome in the community.

“Rosie and I go for skis or runs at lunch which is a great way to decompress and Dolores is often providing produce from her beautiful garden or home cooked meals. We all share some great laughs. These two make me feel valued as a nurse and a person.”

Name one thing on your nursing bucket list.

I feel pretty lucky to have experienced a lot of different areas having worked in Inuvik, NWT, Jackson Hole, Wyoming and several places in between. I delivered a baby here in Atlin last year – and definitely do not want to do that again!

What do you appreciate most about your fellow nurses?

I really appreciate our different backgrounds and the ability we all seem to have to support each other as we work through sometimes complex issues.

Celebrating Each Other Jennifer on Rosie and Delores Why do you want to acknowledge Rosie and Delores?

“I can always count on Rosie and Dolores to make my work life better. Providing patient consults, helping troubleshoot technical difficulties, going on lunchtime runs or just sharing laughs!

“I am the newest one in this facility and both Rosie and Dolores have been quick to offer reassurance and camaraderie. They have been fantastic in supporting me through

Prince George Regional Correctional Centre’s Bev Vair and Tish Trevelyan.

TISH TREVELYAN Region: North East

Celebrating Our Profession What is your unit or specialty, and where do you work?

I am the “OAT” (opiate agonist treatment) nurse at Prince George Regional Correctional Centre, so I deal with people with opiate addictions and their suboxone/methadone treatments.

I have also just been hired as a casual at the Gateway Seniors Home.

How long have you been nursing?

It was 10 years in August.

Why did you become a nurse and when did you know that nursing was for you?

I was five years old. I remember seeing an accident when I was out with my parents and all I wanted to do was go and help the guy who was hurt. I decided then I wanted to be a nurse. For the next 11 years I always watched shows like Rescue 911 with my dad and wished I could be the nurses in the hospital. In high school I was able to do a few shadow shifts in the emergency room and that is when I knew for sure I wanted to be a nurse!

How would you describe the work you do in one word?

Rewarding.

How does COVID-19 make you feel?

A little stressed out at times. After reading about the outbreak at one of the federal jails it really made it real – a true realization of how quickly this virus can take over a population, especially in a place like a jail where social distancing isn’t always possible.

years and started working at the jail seven years ago, about two and a half years after I did. We have hit it off since she started.

We have a good working relationship, we just kind of know what each other is thinking. We just get into the flow and we do not even need to ask each other what needs to be done – we just kind of click.

She’s got a very good sense of humour, and always can make me laugh and keep me sane during these stressful times!

She’s very blunt, which is nice. It’s one of the things I like about her. She’s always happy and she’s just got a very caring personality.

She has just always been there for me.

Name one thing on your nursing bucket list.

Learn to do IV starts (we are not able to do them at my workplace) or go back to school to become an RN. What do you appreciate most about your fellow nurses?

They are always there for each other.

Whether a co-worker is struggling with work issues or personal issues, they are always there and willing to listen, and give advice and help out.

Celebrating Each Other

How would you describe the work you do in one word?

Diverse.

How does COVID-19 make you feel?

As a nurse working on the COVID19 unit, it has been challenging and emotional at times. We get a unique perspective on just how devastating the virus can be. But it has also been rewarding to see how supportive family members can be even though they can’t visit. Seeing our patients get healthy and discharged is always the best.

Name one thing on your nursing bucket list.

I would love to get my master’s in nursing and teach one day.

Lions Gate Hospital’s Jonas Kwok and his colleagues.

JONAS KWOK Region: Coastal Mountain

Celebrating Our Profession

Tish on Bev Why do you want to acknowledge Bev Vair?

I am so grateful to work with my friend Bev. She is an incredible nurse. We have been really close. She has been nursing for 17

Why did you become a nurse and when did you know that nursing was for you?

I have always wanted to work in health care, and I knew that nursing was for me when I realized how big of an impact nurses had in the larger community in support of global health. I became a nurse because I want to address and decrease health inequities and improve diversity and inclusion for both nurses and patients.

What’s your unit or specialty?

Cardiac care turned COVID-19 unit since the pandemic started.

How long have you been nursing?

Since July 2019.

Celebrating Each Other Jonas on colleagues What do you appreciate most about your fellow nurses?

Since I started working on my unit last year, my fellow nurses have been nothing but amazing. In particular, the senior nurses inspire me everyday with their breadth of knowledge and wealth of experience. We have a very special unit because I know I can always depend on them to be there for me

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FEATURE

JONAS KWOK continued when I need help, and everyone always goes above and beyond to ensure the next nurse has a good shift. Since our transition into the COVID-19 unit, my colleagues have stepped up even more to advocate for both staff and patient safety in uncertain times. It has been scary and frustrating at times for sure, but we still have a lot of fun on our unit and I am always laughing despite the pandemic. The work is hard and emotionally taxing sometimes, but I always look forward to work because of all the exceptional nurses I work with!

Richmond Hospital’s Monica Yu, Sheryl Cant, Kathy Sinclair, Edmund Gimena and Myra Boreta.

EDMUND GIMENA Region: Richmond-Vancouver

Celebrating Our Profession What’s your unit or specialty?

I am currently working as a registered nurse in the operating room at Richmond Hospital.

How long have you been nursing?

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WINTER 2020 • UPDATE MAGAZINE

I have been in the nursing profession for 25 years now. I completed my nursing science bachelor’s degree in 1995 at the Bataan Peninsula State University in the Philippines and attained my nursing licence that same year.

Why did you become a nurse and when did you know that nursing was for you?

In secondary school my interest was in communication and education. But with my parents’ encouragement and a college scholarship, I took up nursing.

It was not easy in the beginning, and I questioned my decision a lot. I wondered if I would be able to finish it because I encountered some health problems along the way. It was in the second semester of my third year in college that I started understanding and appreciating nursing concepts and applications and realizing that I was in the right profession.

Name one thing on your nursing bucket list.

Being a nurse in the Philippines and Ireland gave me a chance to experience work in various areas and specialties in nursing. I was able to explore different approaches to care provision when I worked in community, public health service and acute care settings. One thing on my nursing bucket list is to be able to share my skills, training and experience as a nursing and health science resource educator.

What do you appreciate most of your fellow nurses?

I transferred from Ireland last fall and started a new life in Canada. I had to adapt to a new working and living environment. My eyes were opened and I appreciate the different cultures, backgrounds and approaches to nursing here.

How would you describe your work in one word?

Fulfilling.

Celebrating each other

In our line of work where we meet clients and patients with different types of illnesses – from physical barriers to psychological and emotional concerns – it demands a lot from all of us. In my own capacity as a nurse, I feel fulfilled when I can promote and provide care congruent to meeting the needs of my clients and patients.

Why do you want to acknowledge your Richmond Hospital teammates?

I feel lucky to have found a great community of nurses and health-care professionals who have continuously given me outstanding respect and camaraderie.

How does COVID-19 make you feel?

COVID-19 certainly made me feel more challenged everyday. In essence it allowed me to become more vigilant and prepared and is a constant reminder to safely provide the utmost care to my clients and patients.

Edmund on colleagues

Despite the distance to my family and friends in the Philippines and Ireland, and the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, I can honestly say that considering myself part of the Richmond Hospital family team has been made easier because of their welcoming support. •

Q&A

HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUITY

APOLOGIES ARE NOT ENOUGH An interview with BCNU Mosaic of Colour Caucus member Ashana Ramsay Black Lives Matter rally in Vancouver

W

E’RE IN THIS together.” It’s a sentiment that reflects the mutual support and shared sacrifices of Canadians across the country, and indeed people around world, as communities come together to confront the COVID-19 pandemic and help each other endure the tragic consequences of a virus that’s been responsible for over 10,000 preventable deaths in Canada alone.

But this year has been marked by another kind of pain, as racist incidents have killed Black and Indigenous people in Canada, as well as the US and around the world.

George Floyd, a Minneapolis Black man, was killed when restrained by police in May. His dying words “I can’t breathe!” echoed that of another Black man, Eric Garner, who was killed under similar circumstance by New York police in 2012. Their final pleas became a rallying cry at mass protests throughout the summer and a metaphor for the

oppression that people of colour experience by virtue of their very existence in a white world.

Here in Canada, we were outraged and heartbroken by the deaths of Brampton man D’Andre Campbell and Toronto woman Regis Korchinski-Paquet, both of whom died in April and May after calling the police in distress. Then, in June, Chantel Moore, an Indigenous woman in New Brunswick was killed when police were called to perform a wellness check on her. And Ejaz Choudry a South Asian senior in Mississauga was fatally shot by police later that month during a mental health crisis.

For many Black and Indigenous people, and people of colour, there was a feeling that perhaps we were not all in this together after all. The massive public health efforts undertaken to save lives from the coronavirus, and the collective sentiment of the moment, made these killings that much more difficult to understand and the harm that much more egregious.

Just as painful was the inability and

unwillingness on the part of many leaders – from the RCMP to the then-federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer – to acknowledge that Black, Indigenous and people of colour endure a daily lived reality that is different from that of white Canadians – and that systemic racism exists in Canada.

Fortunately, many institutions and organizations, from the federal government to the corporate sector and unions, have acknowledged that racism is real and that the idea of race – a social construct with no scientific basis whatsoever – can be all too real, and even deadly, in its effects.

“BCNU is strongly committed to the principles of justice, equity and the equitable access to the social determinants of health – and it is on this basis that we stand in solidarity with all Black and Indigenous people in the fight for social and economic justice and against the forces of systemic racism,” says union president Christine Sorensen. “As nurses, we are uniquely placed to advocate for the dismantling of systems

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Q&A Q&A

HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUITY

of oppression, because every day we see how they negatively impact the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities alike.”

Multiple ant-racism events organized by the Black Lives Matter movement were held across Canada in June, following days of rallies against racism and police brutality in numerous American cities.

Prime Minister Trudeau attended an Ottawa demonstration to take a knee and a moment of silence. He acknowledged the issue of systemic racism in policing was long-standing and needed addressing.

“Far too many Canadians feel fear and anxiety at the sight of law enforcement officers,” he said. “Over the past weeks, we’ve seen a large number of Canadians suddenly awaken to the fact that the discrimination that is a lived reality for far too many of our fellow citizens is something that needs to end.”

That lived reality was on display for all Canadians to see this October, when a dispute over Mi’kmaw fishing rights in Nova Scotia escalated into violence, destruction and eventually an angry mob attack on Indigenousused fishing pounds.

Hundreds of lobster traps were destroyed or seized by non-Indigenous commercial fishers, two Mi’kmaw fishing boats were set on fire and a Mi’kmaw fish processing plant was burned to the ground. All the while, the

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local police largely stood by and watched, and the RCMP and federal government have been criticized for failing to intervene to uphold negotiated treaty rights.

And so it continues.

BCNU’s Mosaic of Colour Caucus is one of four equity-seeking caucuses in the union. Through the BCNU Human Rights and Equity Committee, it works to enhance the voice and place of members who have experienced historic and systemic discrimination and marginalization. The Mosaic of Colour Caucus is also a safe space for workers of colour to address the effects of racism and discrimination in their community and their practice.

Update Magazine spoke recently with BCNU member Ashana Ramsay, who shared her thoughts on what it means to be a nurse and worker of colour in these challenging times. A psychiatric nurse, Ramsay works for Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addictions. She is also a steward and the Richmond-Vancouver region rep on the Mosaic of Colour Caucus.

UPDATE This year, in the wake of the George Floyd killing in June, the slogan “Black Lives Matter” was acknowledged and endorsed by a wide range of allied communities and organizations. That was not the case in the past, since the Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013. What has changed?

WINTER 2020 • UPDATE MAGAZINE

RAMSAY It’s thanks to social media. We saw for the first time a public killing – what I call an assassination – of a Black man by law enforcement. We’ve seen killings of Black people before, but this time we were able to see the face of the law enforcers, and people were angry, calling on [police officer Derek Chauvin] to get off of him and let him go. But it was like his humanity was gone, and he had no regard for this person’s life. We saw this person die in front of our eyes and I think that’s what really changed. We witnessed, not just a death, but a killing from start to end.

It really troubled a lot of people. When it first happened, we were still trying to process it and then I think a lot of emotions kicked in.

In the Black community we

have a way of suppressing our feelings and the pain and the trauma we’ve experienced over the years. I think the death of George Floyd, may he rest in peace, broke down that wall and everything came out— all of the pain and oppression, all of the injustice.

Despite all of the silencing from the system we live in, we finally said we cannot sit around and watch this. We cannot just be silent. We have to do something. Enough is enough.

UPDATE So far, we have words. We have Justin Trudeau taking a knee. Those are acknowledgements that systemic racism is a problem that requires attention.

But what needs to happen to ensure that no more George Floyds are killed?

RAMSAY The problem with

COMMITTED ACTIVISTS The BCNU Mosaic of Colour Caucus is a safe place where workers of colour can address the effects of racism and discrimination in their community and their practice. From left: Richmond-Vancouver regional council member Sara Mattu, Okananagan-Similkameen region’s Bernie Wright, Shaughnessy Heights region’s Ugochi Ibediro, Thompson North Okanagan region’s Harwinder Sandhu (caucus chair – on leave), Richmond-Vancouver region’s Ashana Ramsay, Coastal Mountian region’s Yolanda Cutanda-Dela Cruz, Vancouver Metro region’s Tessy Chalissery, Pacific Rim region’s Myra Noga, North West region’s Peter Gill, South Islands region’s Jessica Celeste, South Fraser Valley region’s Tash Minwalla, Central Vancouver region’s Nooria Aziz and Simon Fraser region’s Shima Zolfagharkhani.

racism is that we’ve been erased from history. It’s at the very level of the education and the school system.

I immigrated here from Jamaica when I was four years old and I grew up here.

But I was never educated about Black history in school.

It wasn’t until I became an adolescent, and my mom put me into programming in the Black community, that I started learning about my history. It was never present otherwise. So, at a very basic level, we need education. We also need cultural sensitivity education in school boards, and it needs to happen here in the union. We need education.

People don’t recognize something they don’t understand. They don’t understand that, unfortunately, some of their actions are racist. But once you use that word “racist” they get scared and they try to silence.

Racism is a form of harassment and trauma is a form of pain that should be regarded no differently than violence against nurses. Racism is a form of violence toward me, an individual and a member of a union.

It’s one thing to say we’re dealing with racism and another thing to actually address it. So, I’m hopeful that in the future there will be opportunities to educate everyone from members, to stewards and staff – everyone throughout the union.

And in our political system, we saw [federal NDP leader] Jagmeet Singh get shut down in the House of Commons when he spoke up against

racism. I think the problem is people are very afraid of the word “racism.”

But we need to address it.

We can no longer be afraid of it. Systemic racism does exist and it needs to be up front in a lot of education in order to change it.

UPDATE Education is a twoway street. As you say, education requires a willingness to listen, to open your ears and your heart. How do we break through barriers of hate when, by definition, hate is something that does not want to listen or allow education to happen?

RAMSAY It’s going to be a long road and it’s going to be difficult, but I think we do have to call out privilege. We need a campaign with shock value. But I think there is going to be a lot of pushback and we need allies because we cannot do it alone.

UPDATE It’s one thing to call out systemic racism in some quarters, like the police, where we can understand how racism would operate within that institution. But recently we saw the death of Joyce Echaquan, an Atikamekw woman admitted to a Quebec hospital for severe stomach pain and who posted a live video on Facebook of nurses taunting her with racial jibes before she died.

In health care we are educated in caring and treating the patient. So how does it feel as a nurse – and a Black nurse – to witness or experience this kind of racism from people trained to care for all and not judge? continued on page 47

UNDERSTANDING AND DISMANTLING RACISM: A BOOKLIST All BCNU members can work to proactively make change in society by becoming a better ally and listening to the experiences of those who are Black, Indigenous and people of colour. Here are just some of the titles you can buy to help educate yourself about systemic racism and its effects.

The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power

By Desmond Cole A perspective-shifting book from one of Canada’s most uncompromising writers, this is a chronicle of just one year—2017—in the struggle against racism in Canada; a year that saw Indigenous land protectors resisting the celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, police across the country rallying around an officer accused of murder, and more.

Until We Are Free: Reflections on Black Lives Matter in Canada Edited by Rodney Diverlus, Sandy Hudson and Syrus Marcus Ware The killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012 by a white assailant inspired the Black Lives Matter movement, which quickly spread outside US borders.

Until We Are Free describes the latest developments in Canadian Black activism, organizing efforts through social media, and more.

Shame on Me: An Anatomy of Race and Belonging

By Tessa McWatt Tessa McWatt interrogates our

ideas of race by turning her eye on herself and her body in a personal exploration of history and identity from a writer who, having been plagued with confusion about her race all her life, has at last found kinship and solidarity in story.

Bread Out Of Stone: Recollections on Sex, Recognitions, Race, Dreaming and Politics

By Dionne Brand An evocative and insightful essay collection that brings the author’s unflinching eye and personal history to issues of sexism and sexual autonomy, the politics of community and the centrality of whiteness in Canadian culture.

Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present

By Robyn Maynard This book delves behind Canada’s veneer of multiculturalism and tolerance and traces the violent realities of anti-blackness, from the slave ships to prisons, classrooms and beyond. This first comprehensive account of nearly 400 years of state-sanctioned criminalization of Black lives in Canada calls for the dismantling of structures of domination and re-imagining a more just society. •

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HUMAN RIGHTS & EQUITY STRONGER TOGETHER

MEDICARE

SUPREME COURT DECISION A WIN FOR ALL PATIENTS NURSES AND OTHER public health-care advocates cheered in victory this September after the BC Supreme Court issued a decision upholding important public health-care laws that protect patients from paying out-of-pocket for medically necessary health care.

The decision marked the close of a five-year long trial slowed by years of delays.

But it meant that for-profit health-care promoters ultimately failed to provide the evidence they needed to show how an expanded role for private medical clinics would improve the health of Canadians.

The plaintiffs, led by Vancouver’s for-profit Cambie Surgery Centre, were aiming to have the laws that make up BC’s single-payer health insurance system – commonly known as medicare – struck down.

“We are pleased the court has found that access

to health care based on patients’ needs, and not simply their ability to pay, is not a violation of Canadians’ charter rights,” said BC Nurses’ Union President Christine Sorensen upon hearing the decision.

Sorensen notes that BCNU-supported patient intervenors in the trial provided important testimony to support evidence showing that universal public health care is the safest, most efficient and most cost-effective way to provide care for all.

“We know that for-profit clinics do not reduce wait times, and far from being a ‘relief valve,’ they are a drain on the public health-care system,” she explains. “The physicians, nurses and other health-care professionals who work at these facilities can’t be in two places at once. The more they work in for-profit clinics, the longer the wait times in public facilities.”

Sorensen says this reality

has been made worse by the province’s shortage of specialty-educated nurses, such as operating room nurses, that are desperately needed in public hospitals. “The more care that can be pro-

“The more care that can be provided in the public system the better.”

BCNU President Christine Sorensen

vided in the public system the better.”

The trial was the latest chapter in a protracted legal battle over the constitutionality of medicare, and revolved around the practice of extra-billing, where a doctor or private clinic charges a publicly insured patient additional fees for medically necessary services.

Lawyers for Cambie NOW SERVING

requested several adjournments throughout the proceedings in an attempt to properly prepare evidence and respond to arguments from the BC government, the defendant in the trial.

Cambie owner, Dr. Brian Day, who has fully admitted to breaking the BC Medicare Protection Act, had been litigating for more than five years prior to the trial’s commencement in 2016 to prevent the province from enforcing the law in the interest of all British Columbians.

Sorensen says the plaintiffs’ motivations were never really about surgical wait lists or patient suffering, but about doctors being allowed to charge patients whatever they want for necessary medical services. “These clinics might claim to act on behalf of patients, but their real motive is profit,” she argues.

“Nurses care for all,” she says, “and we believe surgercontinued on page 47

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PROFIT MOTIVE Plaintiffs in the protracted legal battle over the constitutionality of medicare have yet to provide evidence showing that private medical clinics reduce wait times in the public system.

RINGING THE ALARM Former BCNU President Debra McPherson speaks to the media at a 2008 news conference presenting evidence of unlawful billing the union discovered through freedom of information.

PROTECTING UNIVERSAL PUBLIC HEALTH CARE A PROUD LEGACY OF LEGAL ADVOCACY THE SEPTEMBER BC SUPREME Court decision that upheld important sections of BC’s Medicare Protection Act was a victory for all patients. The decision marked the close of a five-year long trial. But the court win was the result of a much longer legal effort going back almost 20 years.

Since the early 2000s, BCNU has been actively promoting enforcement of our public health-care laws in order to protect patients from being charged unlawful fees when accessing necessary health care, and to prevent for-profit medical clinics from flouting the law.

It was during this period that BCNU began ringing alarm bells about clinics’ increasing violations of the Canada Health Act. The union began holding Premier Gordon Campbell’s BC Liberal government to account for its unwillingness to enforce laws designed to ensure that care is provided on the basis of need and not simply the ability to pay.

BCNU also supported individual patients who were forced to pay out-of-pocket for medically necessary care. Ultimately, it was their efforts and evidence that helped achieve this year’s legal victory. The following timeline is an account of the legal advocacy that sparked for-profit health investors’ constitutional challenge to public health-care laws, and the journey that led to the decision to uphold these laws.

2003

BCNU threatens legal action against the BC and federal governments over evidence of private clinics’ unchecked extra-billing.

In response, the province enacts Bill C-92 – The Medicare Protection Amendment Act – legislation that would increase its ability to police the practices of private for-profit clinics and ensure their compliance with the BC Medicare Protection Act and Canada Health Act. BCNU praises the province for recognizing its responsibilities under the Canada Health Act. To ensure the law against extra billing is enforced, it sets up a hotline for patients to report when they have been billed illegally for medically necessary services. Some of these patients’ experiences will become the basis for evidence that is used to pressure the government into action, and later as evidence in the Charter trial instigated by for-profit clinic owner Dr. Brian Day. The provincial government does not bring Bill C-92 regulations into force, and extra-billing continues.

BCNU works with Ms. Mariel Schooff, whose experience with sinus surgery in the private system (when faced with a five-year wait list) garners significant media attention. The union provides Schooff and other patients with lawyers in their attempts to recover the various fees that they had been charged, contrary to the Medicare Protection Act. BCNU also demands and receives reimbursement from the province for a member who was billed $3,000 by a Metro Vancouver private clinic for medically necessary knee surgery.

BCNU files a petition in BC’s Supreme Court seeking a writ of mandamus ordering the provincial government to enforce Medicare Protection Act prohibitions against extra-billing and user fees for publicly insured services.

2005

The Medical Services Commission notifies Dr. Day that it has received correspondence from many patients who report being billed between $400 and $17,000 for services already covered by MSP and informs Day that his clinics will be audited.

Much of this patient correspondence was gathered as a result of BCNU patient organizing efforts, and formed the basis of the union’s earlier 2005 petition to show evidence of ongoing Medicare Protection Act violations.

BCNU also seeks standing as a public interest litigant, but the court denies this request on the view that the issues raised in the petition are best left to private litigants who would have a direct legal interest at stake in the proceedings.

2007

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HUMAN RIGHTS & EQUITY STRONGER TOGETHER CHAMPIONS OF MEDICARE Patient-intervenor Mariel Schooff meets with BCNU President Christine Sorensen at the BCNU offices in 2019.

A group of patients directly impacted by the non-enforcement of the Medicare Protection Act, including BCNU-supported patients, file a petition similar to that filed by BCNU a year earlier, seeking orders that would compel the Medical Services Commission to enforce the Act against a number of clinics, including Cambie Surgery Centre and False Creek Surgery Centre.

BCNU releases internal government memos obtained under the Freedom of Information Act confirming the government is refusing to enforce laws against user fees and extra-billing, even though it understands these fees violate its own laws.

Shortly after the BCNUsupported patients file their petition, the Medical Services Commission starts to engage in billing audits of some private clinics, including Cambie Surgery Centre.

2008

Cambie Surgery Centre and a group of private clinic investors commence a lawsuit against the provincial government, arguing that Medicare Protection Act provisions against extra-billing and private payment for publicly insured medical services are a violation of patients’ Charter rights, and, as such, the government has no authority to audit or fine the clinics or doctors.

The plaintiffs file their official constitutional challenge to sections 14, 17, 18 and 45 of the Medicare Protection Act and sections 7 and 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The court determines Cambie’s legal action will proceed by way of a conventional trial and that the patients’ petition will be stayed pending the outcome of the trial.

2009

BCNUsupported patients who had filed the 2008 petition, seek and are granted standing as inter-

2010

A new trial date is set for March.

The case is put off again when disclosure issues surface.

2015

The trial finally begins after extensive pre-trial discovery and motions, and several false starts.

2016

The Medical Services Commission successfully conducts an audit of Cambie’s practices. Audits are carried out between January and November of 2011, resulting in an audit report in June 2012. The audit report indicates that, during a period of less than 30 days, more than $400,000 in extra-billing had taken place at Cambie.

The trial is postponed following various evidentiary and procedural disputes between Cambie and the government.

It becomes apparent that Cambie hasn’t gathered the appropriate evidence to support its claims. Dr. Day reports to have exhausted his litigation funds and unsuccessfully petitions to have plaintiff court fees waived.

As the trial is set to begin, Cambie’s legal counsel says it wishes to delay trial proceedings yet again to allow for settlement discussions with the provincial government. A settlement is not reached.

BCNU says Cambie’s legal maneuvering is an insult to patients and that continuing trial delays mean for-profit medical and surgical clinics will continue to flout the law and charge patients thousands in illegal fees.

The trial resumes after a year-long adjournment.

BCNU welcomes an NDP provincial government announcement that it will enforce the 2003 Bill C-92 regulations in the Medicare Protection Act not brought into force by the previous Liberal government, and will authorize the Medical Services Commission to refund patients in cases of extra-billing and fine the doctors who bill them up to $20,000.

2011-2012

2014

DEFENDING MEDICARE BCNU President Christine Sorensen speaks to the media outside the BC Supreme Court when Cambie Surgery’s legal challenge to public health-care laws resumed in 2018.

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venors in Cambie’s action.

These “patient intervenors” would be permitted to submit evidence and legal argument. BCNU also seeks to be granted its own independent standing, but the request is again denied by the court.

The union continues to support the patient intervenors.

2017

2018

SUPREME COURT DECISION A WIN FOR ALL PATIENTS continued from page 44

The plaintiffs successfully seek an injunction against enforcement of the regulations pending the outcome of the trial.

BCNU-supported patient intervenors, including Mariel Schooff, finally testify. A number of other pro-public health-care intervenors, including the BC Health Coalition and Canadian Doctors for Medicare, also submit evidence in the case.

2019

A court decision upholds restrictions on public and private practice by doctors and private health insurers, and Justice John Steeves dismisses the plaintiffs’ case.

BCNU says the decision is a victory for all patients and that for-profit health-care promoters failed to provide evidence showing that private medical clinics improve the health of Canadians. The union calls for full enforcement of Bill C-92 and all provisions of the Medicare Protection Act. •

2020

ies should be provided based on medical need not the size of your bank account.”

Sorensen says that nurses, as health-care professionals, have always been concerned about private medical clinics’ business practices. “They are a direct threat to medicare and the health and well-being of Canadians,” she argues.

“BCNU has consistently advocated for equity in the provision of health care. In fact, it was BCNU that began ringing the bell in 2003 over for-profit clinics’ unchecked and illegal billing for publicly insured services.”

During the trial, nurses welcomed the provincial government’s 2018 announcement that it would enforce Bill C-92 regulations in the BC Medicare Protection Act authorizing the BC Medical Services Commission to refund patients in cases of extra-billing and fine the doctors who billed them.

However, the plaintiffs successfully sought an injunction against enforcement of the legislation pending the outcome of the trial.

“We now expect to see full enforcement of the regulations,” says Sorensen. “It is no longer ‘business as usual’ at for-profit surgical clinics in this province, and Dr. Day and others should no longer be allowed to flout our public health-care laws and take advantage of vulnerable patients.” •

APOLOGIES ARE NOT ENOUGH continued from page 41 RAMSAY Racism is real in health care and, unfortunately, it’s not surprising.

Speaking as a Black nurse, and on behalf of a lot of other nurse colleagues, we experience racism and discrimination with a smile.

You’ll notice it in the actions of leadership. You may have the same amount of education, the same amount of experience or even more education and experience, but you won’t be offered the position. Or you’ll be disciplined more harshly for something if you’re Black. Or you might be given a heavier load. You’ll experience discrimination just because you’re different, or because English is your second language. It’s very hard, and I’ve noticed it more in acute care.

Fortunately, where I work right now, we have a diverse staff and leadership, which is amazing. But I do find that, as a Black nurse, you have to work twice as hard. You have to do everything by the book, and you have to be very, very particular about your work while other colleagues don’t – and I think that’s where the privilege comes in. They get promoted very easily. And if they make a mistake they don’t get disciplined in the same way. It’s a very difficult situation to be part of.

If there is an incident, it is hard to address because staff are afraid to speak up about it. It may be seen

as respectful workplace incident, or called out as bullying or harassment, but it will never be called out as racism because nobody wants to use that word for what it is. Everybody’s afraid of it.

And it is very discouraging, especially working in mental health because we take care of everybody and we practise client-centered care. So, when it’s not reciprocated by staff it’s very hurtful and discouraging. It’s actually traumatic. It affects your soul, and you have to carry this pain to work and provide care. You don’t ever get a break from it.

UPDATE The stress of being the Other every single day must take years off your life.

Do you see racism as a public health issue?

RAMSAY I think it is. It’s exhaustion. It’s trauma.

When George Floyd was killed, I remember going to work and everybody kept saying “you’re not yourself – you seem different.” And it wasn’t until I talked to one of my Black colleagues about how I felt exhausted, angry and upset that she said, “Ashana, it’s the trauma from what we witness and it’s the pain that we carry.”

That pain is something we carry around all the time because our issues are not heard and not noticed. The silence is violence and it’s never addressed. So, we never have any resolution. Yet we as nurses, we have to take care of people and we have to give our 110 percent. But we’re not taking care of ourselves.

So it’s hard. It is hard. •

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MEMBER PROFILE YOUR COLLEAGUES CLOSE-UP

BC’s FORGOTTEN HEALTH-CARE HEROES Three Northern Health Authority public health nurses talk about how the pandemic has changed the way they deliver health care SINCE THE OUTBREAK of this year’s deadly COVID19 pandemic, the media has often highlighted the selfless sacrifices made by BC nurses and other healthcare workers – particularly those delivering care in acute and long-term care facilities.

The media, however, rarely celebrates the heroic work of public health nurses – particularly those serving residents of rural and northern BC. “We are the faceless health-care heroes trying to prevent the spread of disease,” says veteran Terrace public health nurse Lindsay Willoner.

“We are the voices behind the phone, a consultation at a higher level. We are prevention and we love our jobs.

This is what we train for.

We’re ready for a challenge when the globe is in crisis.

“We may not need PPE in our roles, but we do work very hard to ensure those at the forefront of this storm are taken care of if they come into contact with an exposure.”

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Willoner and Nancy Dhaliwal, both from Terrace, and their Prince George colleague Jamie Hill, recently discussed their changing public health roles with Update Magazine, and described how the pandemic has affected them, their co-workers and the public.

UPDATE Please describe your current job.

HILL I’m a registered nurse with Northern Health. I’ve been working alongside and within public health for the past 17 years, and as a public health resource nurse (PHRN) for the last four years.

I provide nursing clinical advice, support, mentorship and education to those responsible for delivering public health services in primary care, home and inter-professional teams.

DHALIWAL I’m the North West communicable disease coordinator for a region that stretches from Houston to Haida Gwaii and from Atlin to Kitimat. I’ve been in this role for five years and did CD

WINTER 2020 • UPDATE MAGAZINE

work as a public health nurse for 16 years before that.

WILLONER I started my nursing career in BC in 2006, when I moved here from Ontario as a newer grad looking for an adventure in public health.

I currently hold the portfolio of regional nursing lead for cannabis, tobacco and vapour reduction.

UPDATE How has the pandemic changed those duties?

WILLONER When redeployment hit on March 23, it was all hands on deck and a straight dive into COVID19 work, with meetings to discuss best outcomes for the client/community and the health authority.

I was redeployed by Northern Health to work on the COVID-19 urgent communicable disease response team (UCDR).

HILL I have had opportunities within public health to work in complex and changing times, with amazing and supportive peers and leadership.

The pandemic has shifted

my nursing duties. I now offer support for COVID-19 case and contact management as part of a responsive team. We lean on, and support, each other through a constant learning curve.

DHALIWAL It’s the same work, just with a new virus and many unknowns. We are learning as we go. At first, keeping up with the pace was hard. The biggest challenge was learning about this new virus. That came first and the policies followed.

But it’s a smooth-running ship now.

UPDATE What does a typical day look like for you now?

WILLONER On a typical day I meet with my team (fellow UCDR RNs as well as communicable disease coordinators and medical health officers) about current cases, contacts and anything new or urgent that may have come through the commu-

PROUD HEALTH PROMOTERS Northern Health Authority public health nurses have been providing important preventive care services to rural and remote communities during the COVID19 pandemic. Clockwise from left: Terrace’s Nancy Dhaliwal and Lindsay Willoner, and Prince George’s Jamie Hill.

nicable disease hub. From there we dispense our workload to cover the region.

HILL Days can be unpredictable. Flexibility is important during this pandemic.

Responsiveness to case management, and follow-up, including contact tracing, is a key public health measure to control COVID-19.

There is no typical day, but there is a need to know your supports, to communicate effectively and to lean on teammates for debriefing and navigating through emerging challenges.

UPDATE Has the return of students to school created more work for public health nurses?

WILLONER The medical health officers and the school health lead in the north have done a terrific job at supporting schools and local communities. I am very grateful for all their hard work for

students and families. I think it eased tensions by making us better prepared and more aware that cases may arise, and also helping us understand what steps we should take in response.

I feel fortunate working for Northern Health, having resilient leadership and wonderful medical health officers. It is through their leadership model that we are taught how to ensure there’s high quality healthcare services across our vast geographical area.

UPDATE What do you think of the public’s support for nurses during the pandemic?

DHALIWAL I’m so impressed with the amazing job British Columbians have done. We didn’t just get lucky.

People care about their communities and are willing to put themselves out for others.

HILL I feel the public’s support and it fuels me to con-

tinue working passionately alongside my teammates during these challenging times. Ironically, 2020 was declared the Year of the Nurse and Midwife by the World Health Organization.

WILLONER The public has been amazing. I’m always encouraged to stay safe, and often thanked for my hard work in decreasing the spread of COVID-19. Many of my close friends and relatives have reached out to say “thank you” for all the long days and hours we put in.

UPDATE What are the conversations like when you contact people who test positive for COVID-19?

DHALIWAL I support them by offering information and advice. I contact them daily or more depending on the situation. There are people who are more difficult to work with. Stress often causes people to have trouble coping.

WILLONER My job on UCDR did involve contacting both cases and contacts. I think with any communicable disease follow-up we always prepare for uncomfortable conversations that bring about sensitivity.

The BC Centre for Disease Control has developed great resources, including for mental health and physical activity. I try to use those in my practice when talking with clients.

I found that people requested daily calls for their symptoms’ check-in (the other option was a home health check-in). Connecting them with nurses built rapport and trust.

UPDATE And how do most people react when you tell them they have COVID-19?

DHALIWAL Most people are surprised and then a bit continued on page 51

UPDATE MAGAZINE • WINTER 2020

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MY JOURNEY

INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED NURSES

DOING THE THING SHE LOVES LODESHA TAYLOR CHARTS A NURSING PATH FROM JAMAICA TO BC LODESHA TAYLOR HAS fond memories of the days and nights she spent as a nurse and midwife at Kingston Public and Victoria Jubilee hospitals.

“For me, the best part of the job, the part that was most rewarding, was delivering babies,” she recalls.

Even now, after so many years, you can hear the delight in Taylor’s voice as she reflects on these experiences. It was this passion for her work that buoyed Taylor through the perpetual challenge of working short-staffed. “You had to work twice as hard, but at the end of the day you’d make your way home knowing you’d made a real difference in someone’s life.”

Taylor, the youngest of four children, grew up in a leafy, community-minded, middle-class neighbourhood in Kingston, Jamaica.

All through high school she had imagined pursuing a degree in pharmacology. But, after graduating, she soon realized that she would have to take a number of pre-requisites to get into the program. “I

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wanted to be a pharmacist, but I also wanted to be independent as soon as possible. Nursing offered a pathway to the freedom I was craving,” she remembers.

Taylor graduated from nursing school in 2007, got married and began

working on a medical-surgical unit and in maternity.

In 2010 she completed her studies in midwifery. It was around this time that Taylor began to feel the pull of elsewhere. Two of her siblings had already left Jamaica, including a sister who was nursing in Atlanta, Georgia. Taylor had initially thought that she might join her sister in the US. But, after a visit to Toronto and Mission to visit friends, she began to imagine a new life for

FINDING HER NICHE Lodesha Taylor is starting to feel settled after moving to BC from Jamaica nearly four years ago.

WINTER 2020 • UPDATE MAGAZINE

herself and her family in Canada. “I liked it so much better than the US,” she says. “It felt more calm and family-oriented and the people seemed happy.”

Taylor began the immigration process in 2013 while simultaneously navigating the complex and expensive processes required to obtain a nursing licence in British Columbia.

In March 2017 she and her family settled in Kitimat.

“It was culture shock, to be honest,” she says of her arrival. “I had grown up in a city with lots of people and now I was in what felt like a small town in a snow valley – and with the summer so short.”

But, Taylor loved her work. Kitimat General Hospital (KGH) had hired her while she was still in Jamaica and had facilitated her work permit through its nominee program. And, once she began practising her profession here in BC, she recalls the work environment being exceptionally welcoming.

For her son and husband, the transition was more challenging. Taylor soon realized that, while her work environment was nourishing and collegial, the larger social environment was less so. “It wasn’t

municable disease follow-up, BC’s FORGOTTEN HEALTH-CARE HEROES school health, sexual health continued from page 49 clinics and more. easy being one of only a few Black families in the city,” she says. “For me, I was happy at work, but for my husband, and in particular my son, it was so difficult.”

“It’s possible to reach your goals and overcome the obstacles in your path.”

Lodesha Taylor

Taylor recalls how her son began to retreat into silence following repeated incidents of racist bullying at school and in the community. “I watched how my son began to lose confidence after having arrived here ready to take on the world – ah man it was so hurtful, I just cried.”

In early 2019, Taylor made the difficult decision to send her husband and son to Mission. A few months later she joined them. They had been in Kitimat for just over two years.

The move was good for her husband and son, but Taylor went from being a nurse who was “just seen as

different” at KGH to one who was frequently made to “feel alone.” She says the contrast could not have been more pronounced.

“After the relocation I just wanted to get back to practising nursing, but I felt like there were many people who were just not ready to work with me, to give me a chance,” she recalls.

On far too many occasions Taylor remembers feeling as if she had been “put in a box” by others because she is Black and they think she doesn’t know nursing. “That somehow gave people the right to treat you as if they look down on you.”

Today, nearly four years after moving from Jamaica, Taylor is finally starting to feel settled. She recently began working at a new job amidst a diverse and welcoming community of nurses and health-care workers.

She says it has been a long and challenging road to get to this point, but she is grateful to have found her nursing niche in surgery. “I want other nurses like me, other Black nurses, to know that it’s possible to reach your goals and overcome the obstacles in your path – it’s what we all want, a chance to feel like you belong and to do the thing you love.” •

fearful when we tell them the news. But we are there to reassure them when they are nervous. We call every day to check up on them while they are in isolation.

WILLONER I found that most people were not shocked – because they had been symptomatic and gone for testing.

We try to support individuals throughout their isolation period. For example, we sometimes work with BC Housing or the First Nations Health Authority to provide care.

UPDATE What is the biggest misconception about the work of public health nurses?

HILL It’s not only about “just giving shots,” and such.

Prevention, protection and health promotion are the foundations of public health nursing.

Our roles can be broad, such as improving strategies and health outcomes for the entire population. We also provide frontline support to individuals and families for specific health needs such as communicable disease, immunizations, sexual health, harm reduction, school health, perinatal services and population health.

WILLONER The work of public health nurses is critically important in health promotion and disease prevention. These upstream approaches include Naloxone education kits, immunization clinics, com-

DHALIWAL For me, the big lesson is that it’s hard working with so many unknowns.

Compassion goes a long way with clients and coworkers.

Effective communication is vital. Everyone has a threshold of what it takes to feel safe.

UPDATE What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned about public health nursing during the pandemic?

WILLONER My biggest lesson is about self-care. As nurses we give and give and always put others first. It has taken me 14 years of public health work, and a pandemic, to learn that I am one person.

I need to prioritize my mental and physical health.

UPDATE Will the experiences of the pandemic change public health nursing in the years ahead? If so, how?

WILLONER I think so. We learn from experience. Much like with SARS and H1N1, we always learn how to better protect ourselves and decrease the burden of disease. If anything, as a mother of two small kids, I can see that my children practise better hand hygiene. That in itself is a win!

DHALIWAL Hopefully the prevention, management and treatment of infectious diseases will receive more support going forward knowing this could, and probably will, happen again. I am looking forward to holding face-toface meetings and hugging my friends again. •

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WHO CAN HELP? BCNU IS HERE TO SERVE MEMBERS

BCNU CAN. Here’s how you can get in touch with the right person to help you.

CONTACT YOUR

Stewards for all workplace concerns.

Regional Council Members if your steward can’t help, or for all regional matters.

Provincial Executive Committee for all provincial, national or union policy issues.

PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

REGIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS CENTRAL VANCOUVER Marlene Goertzen C 778-874-9330 marlenegoertzen@bcnu.org Judy McGrath C 604-970-4339 jmcgrath@bcnu.org COASTAL MOUNTAIN Kath-Ann Terrett C 604-828-0155 kterrett@bcnu.org EAST KOOTENAY Denise Waurynchuk C 250-919-2178 denisewaurynchuk@bcnu.org

PRESIDENT Christine Sorensen C 250-819-6293 christinesorensen@bcnu.org

TREASURER Sharon Sponton C 250-877-2547 sharonsponton@bcnu.org

VICE PRESIDENT Aman Grewal C 604-813-7208 amangrewal@bcnu.org

EXECUTIVE COUNCILLOR Michelle Sordal C 604-445-2003 michellesordal@bcnu.org

FRASER VALLEY Parveen Gill C 604-615-6815 parveengill@bcnu.org

RICHMOND VANCOUVER Sara Mattu C 778-989-8231 saramattu@bcnu.org

SOUTH ISLANDS Lynnda Smith C 778-977-6315 lynndasmith@bcnu.org

NORTH EAST Danette Thomsen C 250-960-8621 danettethomsen@bcnu.org

SHAUGHNESSY HEIGHTS Claudette Jut C 604-786-8422 claudettejut@bcnu.org

Leanne Robertson-Weeds C 778-222-7997 leannerobertsonweeds@bcnu.org

NORTH WEST Teri Forster C 250-615-8077 teriforster@bcnu.org

SIMON FRASER Tristan Newby C 604-313-1308 tristannewby@bcnu.org

OKANAGAN SIMILKAMEEN Candice DeSousa C 250-488-9232 candidesousa@bcnu.org

Wendy Gibbs C 604-240-1242 wendygibbs@bcnu.org

PACIFIC RIM Rachel Kimler C 250-816-0865 rachelkimler@bcnu.org

SOUTH FRASER VALLEY Hardev Bhullar C 778-855-0220 hardevbhullar@bcnu.org Walter Lumamba C 604-512-2004 walterlumamba@bcnu.org

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EXECUTIVE COUNCILLOR Aida Herrera C 604-612-8871 aidaherrera@bcnu.org

THOMPSON NORTH OKANAGAN Scott Duvall C 250-241-5952 scottduvall@bcnu.org VANCOUVER METRO Meghan Friesen C 604-250-0751 meghanfriesen@bcnu.org WEST KOOTENAY Shalane Wesnoski C 250-231-8468 shalanewesnoski@bcnu.org

COUNCIL PROFILE HERE’S WHO’S WORKING FOR YOU

“Serving on council has helped me enjoy nursing more than ever before,” says South Fraser Valley region council member Walter Lumamba.

TRUE CALLING SOUTH FRASER VALLEY COUNCIL MEMBER WALTER LUMAMBA QUICK FACTS NAME Walter Lumamba GRADUATED 1991 San Pedro College, Davao City, Philippines UNION POSITION South Fraser Valley Council Member WHY I SUPPORT BCNU? “Being active in our union is the best way for members to fight for their co-workers and patients.”

WALTER LUMAMBA really enjoys his job as council member for BCNU’s South Fraser Valley region.

“I love representing our members, talking to them about their concerns and lobbying for better working conditions for all nurses.”

Lumamba graduated as a registered nurse from San Pedro College in Davao City, Philippines, in 1991. He launched his professional career as an OR nurse at the nearby San Pedro Hospital.

He remained in Davao City, working as a nurse and nursing instructor at his old school, until 2005.

That’s when Lumamba decided to move to England with his wife and three young children. He was soon delivering care to patients as a trauma orthopedic nurse at Birmingham City Hospital. “I enjoyed my job, but I worried about my kids growing up in a rough neighbourhood. Gangs, violence and racism were common in Birmingham, and it wasn’t where I wanted my kids to be raised.”

So, in November 2008, the Lumamba family immigrated to Canada. “I was offered a few jobs in several communities. And I told them, ‘I’ll work anywhere – as long as

there’s a golf course nearby,’” he says with a laugh.

He eventually ended up working as an RN at Surrey Memorial Hospital. “My family and I love living in Surrey. People are usually so friendly, it’s beautiful, there are golf courses and grandparents still walk their grandchildren to school.”

In 2009, Lumamba was invited to attend his first BCNU meeting. He noticed he was the only male nurse in the group of about 25 members. “I was later asked by regional council member Janice Buchanan to become South Fraser’s rep on BCNU’s Men in Nursing group.

“I was excited to accept the challenge and quickly organized a meeting,” he says.

“I walked around the hospital and encouraged all the guys to come out. I expected about 30 people – but no one showed up except our regional council members. I was upset, because for me the group is a safe environment for men to share their feelings and stories about important issues like reducing violence.”

In 2013, Lumamba was elected provincial chair of the Men in Nursing group and became South Fraser’s lobby coordinator. Members

elected him as their regional council member in 2017 and he was re-elected in 2020.

“It’s so important to have our stewards and other regional reps visible to our Point-of-care nurses,” he says.

“When I joined council, we had just 58 stewards representing 5,600 members. And only 18 of them were active, so it was a real challenge.

“Now we’re working with our stewards to ensure they know their roles. It’s important for new stewards to have a mentor, someone to guide them through the process so they can provide members with the tools and resources they need to deliver quality care.”

In addition to his council duties, Lumamba is also a member of the Internationally Educated Nursing Group and the Professional Responsibility Process Committee.

Lumamba enjoys his role despite the long hours.

“In my spare time I enjoy reaching out to members in our region, talking with them and discussing their issues.

“Serving on council has helped me enjoy nursing more than ever before. I’ve learned that the nursing profession is my calling.” •

UPDATE MAGAZINE • WINTER 2020

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OFF DUTY MEMBERS AFTER HOURS

IT’S BEEN MORE THAN a decade since Cheralynne Kennedy visited Guatemala as a third-year Selkirk College nursing student.

But the people she met in the tiny town of Nuevo Horizonte continue to inspire and influence her life back home in Canada.

“That trip helped make me who I am today,” says Kennedy, now a veteran community nurse in Nelson, and a BCNU member educator and regional lobby coordinator. “The people of Nuevo Horizonte welcomed our group of nursing students with open arms. We felt loved and appreciated.

“Our practicum was led

by Mary Ann Morris, a brilliant and inspirational teacher who brought nursing students to Nuevo Horizonte for years.”

Before Morris retired recently, Kennedy and other Selkirk College grads founded the non-profit group Bienestar (wellbeing in Spanish) to carry on their instructor’s humanitarian work and continue providing ongoing help to the impoverished, but hard-working people of Nuevo Horizonte.

The town arose from the ashes of a decades-long bloody civil war, fought between a brutal US-backed Guatemalan government and leftist fighters, many who were Mayan peasants. Some 150,000 Guatemalans had been killed by the time a peace treaty was signed in 1996.

KEEPING CONNECTED Nelson’s Cheralynne Kennedy continues to work with the rural Guatemalan community she supported during her 2009 nursing practicum.

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WINTER 2020 • UPDATE MAGAZINE

Soldiers who had fought against the Guatemalan regime founded Nuevo Horizonte as a cooperative, where everyone is guaranteed the right to food, housing, education and health care.

Some 500 people now live in the town, located near the famous Mayan ruins of Tikal.

“I was so impressed as a student with what they’d accomplished with this barren land,” recalls Kennedy. “They may be poor

by Canadian standards, but they work so hard to improve everyone’s lives.

“We don’t tell them what we want to do for them,” says Kennedy, when asked how Bienestar supports the community. “We listen to them. It’s a collaboration. The community tells us what they need and why they need it.

They’re involved and empowered. We learn from them.”

For example, Kennedy says the community asked for assistance to reduce the high rate of diabetes in Nuevo Horizonte. Bienestar then helped organize a series of successful diabetes prevention and self-management programs.

Those include: graduating 21 local students from a diabetes health promoter training program, opening a diabetes health and wellness clinic with four part-time staff members and providing diabetes health education to 10 rural Indigenous women’s organizations.

Kennedy’s group also offers education scholarships, school supplies, child health and wellness programs and

micro loans for development projects and small businesses.

In 2017, for example, two women used Bienestar funding to open a popular taqueria restaurant in the town.

Bienestar has also provided seed money to assist a group of young people receive Spanish language teacher training. They’ve now opened Corazon de Maria Spanish school, which offers travellers from around the world a chance to learn a new language in a unique location while living with a local family.

Kennedy says 100 percent of all donations to Bienestar are spent in the community on programs supported by the residents of Nuevo Horizonte. “Bienestar board members cover all administrative costs,” she says.

The Nelson nurse believes her 2009 Guatemalan practicum “made me realize that nursing is about so much more than just Western medicine. If I’m going to successfully speak up for my patients then I must advocate for all the social determinants of health.

“Nurses can make a difference by speaking up for those without a voice,” she says. “The more we lift our own voices, the more we’ll succeed in bringing about real change in Canada, Guatemala and around the world.” • If you’re interested in donating to this Nelsonbased non-profit, please visit bienestarcanada.ca for more information.

PHOTO: BILL METCALFE

FROM NELSON TO NUEVO HORIZONTE CHERALYNNE KENNEDY NURTURES HER CONNECTION WITH A RURAL GUATEMALAN COMMUNITY

Lived experience of frontline nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic AS TOLD BY NURSES THROUGH PHOTOS

Participants Needed for a Qualitative Research Project As a participant in this study, you will be asked to tell your story through photography and a short reflection.

Each week for six weeks we will send you a short video recording with instructions and will ask you to submit a photo and a short summary that describes how it represents your experiences. We would like to learn from your lived experience during the pandemic to influence health education, health systems, and policies.

You will receive a $50 honorarium for participation Nurses anywhere on the globe, (working full- or parttime) who self-identify as practicing in an acute setting with adult COVID-19 positive (or suspected positive) patients are invited to participate in this study.

For more information or to participate, contact: nursesphotos@gmail.com

Aggie Black RN, MPH

Director, Health Services & Clinical Research and Knowledge Translation PHC

Ruhina Rana RN, MN

Health Science Research Coordinator Faculty, Department of Nursing Douglas College

Nicole Moen RN, MSc

Faculty, Department of Nursing Douglas College

This study has been approved by the Douglas College Research Ethics Board (Approval ID JN20.12A) and the Providence Health Care Research Ethics Board (H20-02370)

Christine Sorensen

Aman Grewal

Sharon Sponton

Michelle Sordal

Aida Herrera

Hardev Bhullar

Candice DeSouza

Scott Duvall

Teri Forster

Meghan Friesen

Wendy Gibbs

Parveen Gill

Marlene Goertzen

Claudette Jut

Rachel Kimler

Walter Lumamba

Sara Mattu

Judy McGrath

Tristan Newby

Leanne Robertson-Weeds

Lynnda Smith

Kath Ann Terrett

Danette Thomsen

Denise Warynchuk

Shalane Wesnoski

PM 40834030