Safe working conditions for nurses are key to providing safe patient care for Albertans

This Nurses Week, United Nurses of Alberta celebrates the work nurses do every day in every corner of the province.

Your strength, skills, and compassion are what makes health care better in Alberta. Whether it's offering a moment of comfort or a life-saving decision, your impact is felt in every part of our health care system.

The theme of UNA’s Nurses Week celebrations this year is Our nurses, Our future / Your nurses, Your future.” While we celebrate nurses and the patient care they deliver every day, we can’t afford to sugar coat the challenges we face daily. They must be met straight on.

This theme aims to remind nurses about what we are doing now, in this moment, to defend and improve working conditions and workplace safety for us and our co-workers, while also improving conditions of care for the patients, residents and clients in our care.

Albertans need to take note of the challenges facing the health care system and demand better from government and health care employers. This means sufficient staffing, safer hospitals, and more capacity to meet the pressure of our growing communities.

It has never been more important to stand up for safe, quality care environments that are appropriately staffed by nurses and health care workers, and resourced with beds and room to grow. Because safe working conditions for nurses are key to providing safe patient care for Albertans when and where they need it.

A sincere thank you for the work each and every Alberta nurse does every day.

Happy Nurses Week!

In Solidarity,

Heather Smith, President
United Nurses of Alberta