The next generation of nursing: Part 3
Students are frequent visitors at ONA’s provincial office in Toronto, including these three who participated in an education session with staff.
Students are frequent visitors at ONA’s provincial office in Toronto, including these three who participated in an education session with staff.
Nursing students are the next generation of the profession and the future of our union.
Get to know them by hearing from some of the most recent recipients of the ONA and CFNU Scholarships, available to first-time students enrolled in accredited Canadian Nursing Students’ Association-affiliated nursing education programs or other regulated health professional programs in Ontario who are immediate family members of ONA members with entitlements.
In this third and final part of the series, we ask the students why it’s important to them to have a union for nurses in Ontario.
A robust union to support nurses is essential, as nurses are often the backbone of health-care delivery. Without adequate union support, sufficient pay, quality patient care, and safe employment, conditions are at risk. Having a union for nurses in Ontario is critical because nurses are at the centre of care delivery.
Without ONA, this crucial part of our health-care infrastructure fails. Nurses bridge the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge, using their expertise to translate complex diagnoses and clinical findings into actionable interventions specific to each patient. By ensuring nursing voices are heard, ONA strengthens the profession and the health-care system as a whole.
Having a union like ONA is so important because it gives nurses a voice. We pour our hearts into this profession, but without strong advocacy, we can’t provide the best care for our patients or ourselves. ONA fights for fair working conditions, safe staffing, and the respect that nurses deserve. Knowing we have a union behind us means we’re not alone. It means we’re stronger together.
I see the nursing profession as a community. A union for a community of nurses is vital for advocating for and supporting members. Especially when issues arise, it’s comforting to know that the community serves as a backbone for its members. A union also creates opportunities for nurses to come together, grow and learn from each other.
It’s important to me for there to be a union for nurses in Ontario. As a student nurse, I am excited to one day work in the health-care field without fear of consequences for advocating for my patients. I’m appreciative that one day as a nurse, I can advocate for myself with support from ONA.
It means we’re stronger together.
Nurses are on the front lines, facing incredible pressures and challenges, especially after these last few years. Having a strong union like ONA is absolutely critical. It’s about having a collective voice – advocating for nurse staffing ratios, fair wages and better working conditions while ensuring nurses have the support they need to provide the highest quality care. It’s not just about protecting nurses; it’s about protecting patients, too. Because when nurses are supported, patients receive better care.
My mom’s a member, and I’ve seen firsthand how ONA fights for its members and, ultimately, for a stronger health-care system. The values that ONA represents – fairness, advocacy and a commitment to quality patient care – are values I deeply share, and I plan to be a strong advocate for those values throughout my nursing career.
A union for nurses in Ontario is essential as it supports, protects and empowers them professionally. Unions are committed to developing a safe and healthy workplace environment for all workers by ensuring professional development and negotiating fair working conditions. All injustice and unfair treatment can be raised without hindrance, and unions advocate for their members’ rights by ensuring their voices are heard and their opinions are valued, creating a sense of respect and belonging to the profession. A union improves the quality of work life for its members by setting goals that fight for the legal rights of health-care professionals to provide good quality care to the public. It enables its members to actively contribute to a work environment that promotes fairness, inclusivity, security and safety.
As a new graduate nurse, I believe that having a union like ONA is essential to addressing the urgent issue of safe staffing ratios in our health-care system. Right now, the staffing situation is challenging; while there are positions, most hospitals have a staffing freeze, and many units are operating with a cap on the number of nurses. This means we’re not able to maintain safe nurse-patient ratios, which impacts patient care and nurses’ well-being. To truly make safe staffing ratios work, we need more funding to hire additional staff. I believe that through a union like ONA, we can advocate for these changes, push for proper funding and ensure that nurses have the support we need to provide the best care for our patients.
As a nurse and health-care professional, no one knows better than you what it’s really like to work in terrible conditions. Long hours. Low pay. Disrespect. Sometimes you do form genuine connections and see the difference you make, but that can feel harder to come by when your value is constantly overlooked.
Your reality is tough, but then again so are you.
Stories from the Streets is a chance to tell your story and hear your fellow members tell theirs about what life is like:
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