We have just finished our fifth week of consultations, and have been inspired to meet with nurses across B.C. By the time we wrap up these consultations, we will have met with nurses from every specialty in every part of the province. One thing we have heard from nurses over and over is how much they value having an opportunity to get together and talk about the future of the… Read More »Consultations Gain Momentum Across B.C.
In the Vancouver Sun on March 28th, 2012, there was an announcement that Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C.'s Provincial Health Officer, has joined other provincial, national and international experts arguing for the decriminalization of marijuana (http://tinyurl.com/6rromxw). This is good news. The harms of drug use are exacerbated by current drug policy, which focuses on the criminalization of people who use illegal drugs. In particular, current drug policy impacts those who are… Read More »Legalizing Marijuana: The Importance of Nursing Knowledge to Inform Drug Policy, by Bernie Pauly RN
Recently I met a young nursing student and was asked to give her one piece of salient information with regards to becoming a nurse.
Nursing is a profession, though occasionally it does not feel like it. We obtain a specialized body of knowledge, we make a commitment to the provision of that knowledge, we promise to uphold what that specialized body of knowledge requires of us without causing harm to others and we accept all the associated responsibilities. But somehow the reality of a profession often gets lost along the way. Read More »We the nurses... by Wendy Bowles NP
Paddy Rodney’s blog on the Transformation of Health Care in Canada (Jan. 16, 2012) and news from the Council of the Federation meetings in Victoria have generated considerable interest during the past few weeks.Read More »Understanding the Importance of Health System Funding in B.C. by Nora Whyte RN
It is a new year - a politically important year. As you are aware, we are drawing closer to 2014, when the federal-provincial Health Accord will be re-negotiated. This week, the Premiers of all the provinces are meeting in Victoria to discuss the future of health care in Canada.
Late last year, 10 of Canada’s nursing regulatory bodies selected an American organization, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, to develop a new examination for entry-to-practice which will replace the current Canadian exam by 2015. The NCLEX (National Council Licensure EXamination) is the name of the exam currently used in the United States.
There has been a lot of talk lately about the NCLEX coming to Canada. To be honest, when I first heard about it my thought was, “that doesn’t sound completely terrible”.Read More »A Canadian version of the US Licensure Examination, eh? by Nickie Snyder RN
Insite is the only legal supervised injection site in North America, located in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood of Vancouver. After a lengthy legal struggle, on September 30, 2011 the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously ruled that Insite should immediately be granted an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) and remain open (http://scc.lexum.org/en/2011/2011scc44/2011scc44.html). The ruling stated that closing Insite would prevent injection drug users from accessing needed health services… Read More »What Did It Take to Get Insite? by Irene Goldstone
In January 2012, the B.C. Government plans to launch the Nurse-Family Partnership program (NFP), a nurse home-visitation program offered to vulnerable, young, first-time mothers who have low incomes and are at an early stage in their pregnancy (28 weeks or earlier). ). The program is based on compelling research evidence from US studies that demonstrates the importance of intensive nurse follow-up for high risk families. As nurses, we should support… Read More »Positioning the Nurse-Family Partnership Program in British Columbia – How can it be a win-win for optimum family health? by Susan Duncan RN
