NP Lhamo Dolkar
It is such an honour to be president during RNAO’s 100th anniversary year. I admire the women who, a century ago, had the vision and courage to lay the foundation for a professional nursing association. It was an idea fuelled by passion and backed by motivation to grow the profession. It is worth remembering that this was a time when women in Canada didn’t quite enjoy the rights and respect we freely exercise today.
These nurses wanted to provide a sense of community within their chosen profession and seek opportunities to learn from each other. They were proud nurses who wanted to influence others and take their responsibilities bigger and broader.
That RNAO has stood the test of time and has grown into the organization it is today is a testament to their legacy. We owe them a heartfelt thank you for their vision and resolve.
That same vision and resolve is true today.
What I find remarkable about RNAO’s history is the common thread between the past and present: a desire to advocate for professional growth, for educational standards, for regulations governing nursing practice, and for an empowered workforce.
In 1996, the same year our CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun assumed the role of executive director, RNAO’s board of directors – upon her recommendation – took an extraordinary step forward by expanding once again the association’s scope. It approved the new strategic direction presented by Grinspun that focused on promoting health and health care, recognizing the social determinants of health, and advocating for the role of RNs in the health-care system. RNAO would later formalize its advocacy statements to include NPs and nursing students.
There is no doubt we have something special in RNAO. While the issues have changed over the decades, the indomitable spirit of what nursing is and what it can do for population health hasn’t.
There is no doubt we have something special in RNAO. While the issues have changed over the decades, the indomitable spirit of what nursing is and what it can do for population health hasn’t. Arguably, it’s even more important now. There is no mistaking the association’s place in the profession. Its reputation for standing strong among health organizations, politicians, bureaucrats, members of the public and most importantly, among nurses themselves is something that instills great pride in all of us.
We have earned a seat at leadership tables across all domains and sectors of public policy. We understand what’s needed to build our profession, to make our health system function more effectively, to draw the connection between social determinants and people’s health, and to raise awareness of how inaction on climate change harm’s people’s health.
Every day, I am reminded of the responsibility I have as president of our amazing association. As I approach the midway point in my role, I continue to still regard the office with reverence. I have profound respect and admiration for those who held the post before me, and I hope I am a role model for those who will succeed me.
While there will always be challenges ahead, we need to recognize and appreciate the influence we have, and the action and impact we have made and will continue to make for countless others. RNAO is valued because of its strength and use of evidence, its reputation for action and impact, and the values that underpin its work. This is all because of YOU and your membership in an organization that decades ago forged a path for professional nursing that continues to move nurses and health forward.
I invite you to explore our shared history on RNAO.ca.
In honour of those forward-thinking women in the 1920s, let’s reflect on what they created, the changes we have witnessed in nursing and health over the last century, and our determination to keep building our association with the 54,500+ members we have today.