Our Voice. Our Time. 2024 Conference – highlights
Did you find the strength in your voice as a nurse?
The Alberta Association of Nurses’ sold-out annual conference Our Voice. Our Time., on May 2 & 3 opened with a message on uniting our voices from Canada’s Chief Nursing Officer, Dr. Leigh Chapman.
“I always stress unity in the nursing profession. We are much stronger when we consider ourselves as a profession,” Dr. Chapman said.
The energy that a crowd of over 250 nurses brought, as a mix of LPNs, RNs, RPNs, NPs, as well as a few students and retired nurses, was both invigorating and renewing.
As speakers brought forward their topics, nurses also brought questions that pushed both the conversation and participants’ perspectives forward and outward. Whether the breakout session was on artificial intelligence, the journey of nurse practitioners, how nurses can affect and direct politics, or on cultural humility–each was united by the fact that every nurse has a crucial voice in their role to speak out for themselves and the nursing profession.
Tim Guest, CEO of the Canadian Nurses Association, spoke on the role of nursing associations and the impact of each member’s voice.
“Advocacy is something we can all do,” Guest said. “You can be involved in advocacy within your workplace or become a member of an association. Our voice is vital.”
Liliana Canadic, Saskatchewan’s Chief Nursing Officer, reminded attendees to use their voice to create the future they want to live in. “Your future is full of possibilities,” Canadic said. “You are changing lives and shaping tomorrow.”
What or who inspired you? What opportunity sparked your interest? What conversation is still replaying in your mind or what connection did you make that reminded you that you aren’t alone?
Our hope is that everyone who attended the conference returned to work and home with renewed vigor for nursing, with tools for strengthening their voice, and with inspiration on how to use their voice.
While it may seem sometimes, whether on the unit or in the office, that you’re facing an issue alone, we hope this conference reminded everyone that nurses share similar issues around the province. We have a united voice, and it is powerful.
Shelly Bischoff, RN, during her session on empowering your leadership, inspired attendees with a powerful message on individual leadership. “You are capable of more than you’ve ever considered. Right now, you are enough. You have a place,” Bischoff said. “This association, and its future, depends on the courage and voice of its members.”
Jean Aitcheson, retired RN, was the closing keynote speaker, and gave an inspiring, (and hilarious) recounting of nursing experiences throughout her career, and what drove her to make changes that reshaped the nursing profession in Ontario.
Aitcheson closed by saying, “As nurses, what are your dreams for your future? Seize every opportunity. And even make your own.”
You belong here. The Alberta Association of Nurses needs your voice–whether that looks like your leadership on the frontline, through advocacy, behind a computer screen, or in a boardroom. Your voice matters, and you don’t stand alone.
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What topics or themes do you want to see at next year’s conference? Let us know! Email our team at [email protected]
