Demanding Action and Respect
BC nurses gather in Victoria for National Nursing Week
In survey after survey, when the public is asked which profession they value and respect the most, nursing always tops the list. But any nurse working in BC today will tell you that the respect they receive from the public has not been matched by action from their employer.
Hundreds of BCNU members had this sentiment in mind this May when they gathered in Victoria on the occasion of National Nursing Week.
Normally, the week is an opportunity to celebrate and thank nurses across Canada for the invaluable care they provide to patients and their communities. This year, however, the week took on a more sombre tone. Rather than celebrate, BCNU members chose instead to honour all those nurses who have endured the impact of a global pandemic now into its third year.
"We went to Victoria to bring attention to the needs of BC's nurses, and to call for support," says BC Nurses' Union president Aman Grewal. "Patient care is suffering and more action is needed now."
The provincial legislature was in session and politicians were well aware that nurses were in town.
Health Minister Adrian Dix welcomed members of the union's provincial executive committee to the legislature on May 9, and the province-wide nursing shortage was the focus of the day's question period as opposition parties demanded to know how the government would tackle the crisis.
"To hear all three political parties allocate the entire question period to the staffing crisis and the impact it's having on our members shows that our efforts to raise awareness are working," says Grewal. "They can hear us, now it's time they take action."
The evening of May 9 saw the union host a candlelight vigil by the fountain at Confederation Garden Court, where nurses came together to support each other and mourn the deaths they have witnessed through the two public health emergencies facing the province.
With candles lit, hundreds of nurses were joined by members of the public and MLAs from all parties to contemplate the collective loss experienced by people in every community in the province.
When is the government going to pay attention to what our members are saying?
"The loss of life from COVID-19 has had a profound impact on our members, and we stand with patients and family members of loved ones who've passed," said Grewal at the event. "The toxic drug crisis has also had a devastating effect on communities around BC," she said. "Six people are dying every day while our members do their best to provide care despite a lack of action and resources."
Vigil attendees listened to BCNU LGBTQ caucus chair Jessy Dame share the heartbreaking story of his brother's recent death from opioid poisoning. "It was really important for me to take part in the vigil and share with everyone the personal loss I've experienced, as well as the professional toll the toxic drug crisis has had on me as a nurse," says Dame. "Being a nurse isn't a nine-to-five job. It is a lifestyle. It's who we are, and it's important to remember that nurses don't turn off after each shift."
The following day hundreds of BCNU activists and regional executive members gathered for a morning meeting to take stock of the current reality of the heath-care system and discuss the post-COVID labour environment. It was the first large gathering of members since the public health emergency was declared in 2020.
BCNU Interim CEO Jim Gould was on hand to talk about the importance of grassroots member engagement, building solidarity and preparing for job action in a contract bargaining year.
"Our members are suffering as a consequence of brutal working conditions, and we need to work together to address it," he said. "That means when negotiation doesn't work, and arbitration comes up short – we take to the streets to demonstrate and publicly demand change."
National Nursing Week in Pictures
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BCNU President Aman Grewal welcomes members and guests to an evening Vigil to Heal Health Care on the evening of May 9. -
BCNU LGBTQ caucus chair Jesse Dame shares the story of his brother’s recent loss to a poisoned drug supply at May 9 evening vigil. -
Family members of people lost to the poisoned drug crisis attend BCNU-hosted evening vigil on May 9. -
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Nurse MLA and BCNU member Harwinder Sandhu is joined by Health Minister Adrian Dix at May 9 evening vigil. -
BCNU Richmond Vancouver region members at May 9 evening vigil. -
Songhees and Esquimalt Nation youth welcomes BCNU members to Victoria on the morning of May 10. -
BCNU President Aman Grewal addresses union activists on the morning of May 10. -
BCNU Vice President Adriane Gear addresses union activists on the morning of May 10. -
BCNU Interim CEO Jim Gould addresses union activists on the morning of May 10. -
BCNU members take their message to the public in a march along Victoria’s Inner Harbour May 10. -
BCNU members take their message to the public in a march along Victoria’s Inner Harbour May 10. -
BCNU members take their message to the public in a march along Victoria’s Inner Harbour May 10. -
BCNU members take their message to the public in a march along Victoria’s Inner Harbour May 10. -
BCNU members take their message to the public in a march along Victoria’s Inner Harbour May 10. -
BCNU members take their message to the public in a march along Victoria’s Inner Harbour May 10. -
BCNU members take their message to the steps of the provincial legislature May 10. -
BCNU members take their message to the steps of the provincial legislature May 10. -
BCNU Vice President Adriane Gear addresses members from the steps of the provincial legislature May 10. -
BCNU members honour the Indigenous territory they stand on during rally at provincial legislature May 10. -
BCNU members honour the Indigenous territory they stand on during rally at provincial legislature May 10. -
BCNU President Aman Grewal addresses members from the steps of the provincial legislature May 10. -
Members of the Official Opposition attend BCNU rally at the provincial legislature May 10. -
BCNU President Aman Grewal speaks to the media during rally at provincial legislature May 10. -
BCNU members take their message to the steps of the provincial legislature May 10. -
BCNU members take their message to the steps of the provincial legislature May 10. -
Nursing students attend BCNU rally at the provincial legislature May 10. -
BCNU members take a picture for posterity following rally at the provincial legislature May 10. -
Vernon-Monashee MLA and nurse Harwinder Sandhu joins fellow BCNU members following rally at the provincial legislature May 10.
Grewal acknowledged the toll the last two years has taken on members' mental health, and noted the 82 percent of BCNU members surveyed last year who said their mental health had worsened over the pandemic, resulting in a 58 percent increase in WorkSafeBC claims.
"The act of holding a dying patient's' hand while they lay intubated and alone or balancing an iPad so family members can say their final good-byes is something that stays with you," she reflected. "These experiences have had a profound impact on our members, but we have not been allowed to share this reality openly."
To highlight the mental and physical toll of the staffing crisis, the union unveiled five videos of nurses who shared their personal stories anonymously. Grewal said the BCNU-produced videos are designed to bring nurses' firsthand experiences directly to the public, and are important for building public support ahead of provincial contract negotiations.
BCNU Vice President Adriane Gear primed members for the rally by reminding them about the perseverance of union activists who came before them. She told members about the hard-fought gains they achieved and acknowledged their work in building BCNU into the proud union it is today.
"We are here today to give voice to the nurses we work with and represent, and we're going to take some of the burden that all nurses carry and leave it on the lawn of the provincial legislature for the government as our gift," she said.
With banners and signs in hand, Grewal, Gear and other BCNU Council members then led the nurses on a spirited march along Victoria's inner harbour before arriving at the steps of the legislature. They were joined by many BCNU staff members who journeyed to the capital to organize and support the effort, and who also attended the candlelight vigil the night before.
"It's National Nursing Week, but BC nurses don't feel like celebrating," Grewal told the group and members of the public who had joined the rally. She said nurses in BC have had enough of the inaction from government and employers in addressing dangerously short staffing levels, high workloads and violence in the health-care workplace.
"Nurses have been made to endure crushing workloads that prevent us from providing essential care to our patients, clients, and residents."
- BCNU Vice President
Adriane Gear
"The province's health-care system is in a crisis – there are not enough beds and not enough nurses, and our members are bearing the brunt of it," she said. "Even before COVID-19, nurses were working chronically short-staffed while managing excessive workloads and increased patient acuity."
Grewal said nurses in BC are fed up and don't want to watch their patients suffer any longer.
"Experienced nurses are retiring early and new nurse grads feel shocked and feel trapped – when is the government going to pay attention to what our members are saying?" she asked.
Grewal also told reporters covering the rally that BCNU is demanding governments listen to nurses and health-care professionals and invest in nurse recruitment and retention solutions before it's too late.
"So many nurses go to work every day wanting to provide safe patient care, but the health-care system is understaffed and overwhelmed," she said. " Enough is enough. We need action now, and we want today's call for real action to be loud enough to reach the offices of those here at the legislature."
Gear also took the mic to reminded people in attendance that BC will require upwards of 26,000 nurses by 2031 to staff the health-care system at its current level and meet the needs of patients in the province. She said it's a target that's unlikely to be met given that 51 percent of nurses the union surveyed last year said the experience of the pandemic had them considering leaving the profession altogether.
"The pandemic did not cause the staffing crisis, but it certainly exacerbated the situation. Repeatedly, BCNU has called on this government and the previous government for a health human resource strategy, but to no avail," she told the group. "Better preparation and planning could have mitigated the impact of the last few years on the nursing workforce. Instead, nurses have been made to endure crushing workloads that prevent us from providing essential care to our patients, clients, and residents."
The National Nursing Week events are just the first in a series of outreach activities BCNU is organizing this year. Members are encouraged to talk to a steward or regional executive member for more information. And to never forget that their employer's respect is the very least they deserve.
National Nursing Week was proclaimed in 1985. Since then, nurses and the communities they serve have taken the second week of May to celebrate and honour the nursing profession.•
UPDATE (Summer 2022)