Filling our cups this Nursing Week

Nurses and our health-care professional colleagues are disrespected, undervalued and underappreciated by the Ford government and our employers. We’re constantly asked to do more and more with less and less in a woefully underfunded health-care system. Our positions are being cut and eroded, exacerbating an already dire staffing crisis. Violence in the workplaces is rampant. And burnout is the tragic result.  

But by telling Ontarians the brutal truth about these realities, we’re calling on them to join our fight for safe staffing, safe work, better funding and quality public health care for all.  

Amplify our voices

As we approach Nursing Week 2026, which will be observed from May 11-17 under the theme Experts in Care, Fighting for Change, we need to not only continue to amplify our voices, but celebrate the grit and determination of registered nurses (RNs), registered practical nurses (RPNs) and nurse practitioners, and the immense value they bring to our health-care system. 

And what better way than from some of those members themselves, who have shared personal accounts with F-Word about why, despite these serious challenges, they continue to be a nurse. Take a look: 

• I have more than 300 cards from my patients thanking me for being a great nurse.  
• A patient who was also a nurse was going through a health crisis. She was fearful of all the things out of her control, including a physician she didn’t feel comfortable with. I spent all my time and energy explaining things to her like a patient, not a fellow health-care worker, while trying to give her back some of the control she felt she lost. I advocated to the doctor about the proper procedure to care for her and walked her through it safely. She was very grateful and appreciative of my care. Being able to advocate for my patient filled my cup again and reminded me why we do bedside nursing. 
• Nursing is the best profession in the world. You can never change my mind. 
• I’ve been a nurse for almost 37 years. The years go by fast. I love, LOVE being a nurse! 
• I had a patient with a bad infection that took him away from his family for a very long time. The day he left, he gave me a card thanking me for making him feel like he wasn’t in a hospital because of how I cared for him, and for getting him home to his family. This happened at a time when I was burnt out from my job and sometimes wondered why I continued to do it. I like to joke around with my patients and make them feel comfortable. I didn’t realize the difference this made to some of them, and he renewed my faith in my job. I remembered why I continue doing it! I still have the card he gave me a few years later.  
• Nursing is tough, but I’m far tougher. Even knowing what I do now years into my career, I would still choose to be a nurse. The rewards – a sincere thank you from a patient and their family or even just a smile of gratitude – are why I continue to stay despite everything that is thrown at us by bad bosses and the Ford government.  
• As a new RN, I was made to feel at home instantly by the nurses I work with. I have felt comfortable asking questions, extending my knowledge and building confidence since day one.  

Worth celebrating 

“These inspiring words straight from our members are reminders that what you do matters,” says ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss. “In no way do they diminish or negate the deplorable conditions we face on a daily basis, which we must constantly fight against, but the difference you clearly make to those under your care and your colleagues is absolutely worth celebrating.” 

And so, this Nursing Week, take some time and do just that.  

Throughout the province, Local leaders and members are busily planning Local and Bargaining Unit Nursing Week activities, which, in past years, have included treats at ONA tables in common workplace areas, rallies, bowling and painting parties, lunch and learns, special teas and gala dinners, many attended by the ONA Board of Directors.  

If you have a story to share this Nursing Week, including how you acknowledged your profession, let us know here. You can also share your Nursing Week stories, messages and greetings on social media, using the hashtag #NursingWeek. 

And don’t forget to visit ONA’s Nursing Week webpage for our poster, shareables and other helpful resources.