From Student to Advocate
The adage “If you want something done, ask a busy person” could easily apply to BCNU East Kootenay region member Gina Neumann.
In addition to her work as a Nursing Support Services Coordinator in Interior Health, she is a “med shed” nurse at the Canadian Cancer Society’s annual spring Camp Goodtimes and a camp counsellor at Canuck Place Children’s Hospice spring respite camp.
Neumann brings that same energy to her work as treasurer for the East Kootenay region.
Her engagement with the union, beginning in her student days, helped Neumann transition into a successful nursing career while setting her on a course as a local union activist in the East Kootenays.
It all started when BCNU activists brought pizza to a presentation about becoming a student nurse member during her first year of nursing school.
“I signed up right away,” says Neumann. “I took advantage of every opportunity that BCNU offered, and I appreciated the union’s investment in student nurses.”
As she continued studying and building her advocacy as a student BCNU member, she earned an opportunity on the national stage. Neumann received one of 16 BCNU-sponsored student nurse spots to attend the Canadian Nursing Students Association’s annual convention in 2015.
Her passion for union involvement continued to grow. That same year, she attended BCNU’s annual convention. “I understood about 50 percent of what was going on, but I loved being involved with the energy of the room and the passion of the advocates.” The convention allowed Neumann to meet other nurses from her region and begin forming relationships with her future colleagues. “I was awarded an employed student nurse (ESN) position at East Kootenay Regional Hospital that summer and was able to meet some fantastic nurses at convention,” said Neumann. “This experience really helped my transition into nursing.”
Neumann points to the success of the ESN program in helping to keep young nurses in the profession while building future union leaders. This program, negotiated by BCNU and regional health employers in 2001, provides third- and fourth-year nursing students with an opportunity to gain clinical experience in health-care facilities in special paid part-time or part-year positions. The program was designed to address the high number of new graduate nurses who leave the profession within five years of starting work.
BCNU President Adriane Gear says that with a high attrition rate and a global nursing shortage, the union is doing its best to stop that early exodus.
“The ESN program has been a game changer as students get paid, first-hand experience before they complete their formal education,” says Gear. “That’s why BCNU invests in students, so they will be informed about their rights in the workplace before they reach graduation day.”
Following her successful transition into nursing, Neumann kept up the pace of her union activism. She has served as a steward and became the East Kootenay region Young Nurses’ Network (YNN) representative in 2017. The YNN is a group for BCNU members who are 35 years old or younger and have been working as a nurse for five years or less. It works to support young nurses as they grow in their profession and act in solidarity with equity-seeking groups toward more just and inclusive workplaces.
“I look forward to ensuring that the next generation of nurses know that their union is behind them.”
In 2020, Neumann became the East Kootenay region treasurer, a position she still holds. She is also an out-of-town member of the BCNU Finance Committee, where she works to ensure members' dues are spent responsibly. “I absolutely believe my involvement as a student member influenced my decision to take on an elected role with the YNN. I saw the power of unionism and the changes that could support members and ensure safe patient care,” she says. Looking to the future, Neumann reflects on how her union experiences as a student nurse have impacted the trajectory of her career. “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I had because of BCNU, and I look forward to ensuring that the next generation of nurses know that their union is behind them. We want student nurses to feel empowered and excited about this career, and BCNU can provide financial support and event sponsorship to add to the base curriculum learning.”
UPDATE What does being an activist or advocate mean to you?
NEUMANN I think an activist lifts everyone up. There is real power in working together towards a goal.
UPDATE What member or steward education have you completed to date, and what was a highlight for you?
NEUMANN I have taken almost everything: Building Union Strength, Steward Essentials, Steward Intermediate, Crucial Conversations, and Embodying Your Practice. I encourage every member to attend a Building Union Strength workshop. So many times, members ask where their two percent in dues is going. I tell them Building Union Strength is an opportunity to see what the union is doing, understand the organization’s roots and get to know your contract and rights.
UPDATE Tell us how your work as your region’s regional treasurer supports being an activist.
NEUMANN I believe in fiscal responsibility and want to ensure our member dues are spent appropriately. I advocate for regional worksite member engagement and educational funding.
UPDATE The union is you – how do you share that sentiment with your colleagues?
NEUMANN I will tell colleagues that the union is all of us, you, me – it is not an entity on its own. I am happy to help a colleague, but it is all of our responsibility to know our contract and how to advocate for the improvements we want in our workplace.
UPDATE How do you see your union involvement growing in the future?
NEUMANN I will always be an activist because I believe in fighting for what is right. I want to see our profession become more safe, and I want to see more progress for nurses.
UPDATE (Winter 2024)