National Nursing Week: We Answer the Call

A message from Dr. Shannon Spenceley (BN ’84), RN
Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences

May 10 to 16 is National Nursing Week. The Canadian Nurses Association (CSA) has themed National Nursing Week 2021 #WeAnswerTheCall. Perhaps this has never been more apparent than over the last 14 months, where nurses around the world have stepped up to meet the incredible demands of a global pandemic. Most nurses I know don’t want to be celebrated as “heroes,” but they do welcome the realization that the knowledge of nursing matters — and that this knowledge makes a difference in every part of the health-care system 24 hours/day… 7 days/week, and 365 days/year — pandemic or no pandemic.

National Nursing Week is also a time to celebrate the many different faces of nursing. It is a profession of clinicians, researchers, educators, administrators, policy advocates and health-system leaders — a profession of possibility, a profession that Answers the Call in so many different ways!

At the University of Lethbridge, we are proud to educate some of the finest future nursing professionals in Canada. In recognition of National Nursing Week, we are honoured to share a sampling of stories featuring our nursing students, alumni and faculty throughout the week.

I would also like to invite you to help support nursing students by taking part in the Lethbridge Legacy of Nursing Scholarship Online Auction, which runs from May 10 to 20. The funds raised support the annual award of a $5,000 scholarship for registered nurses who are graduate students whose research will benefit the health of southern Alberta. Last year, two of our master of nursing students, Tiffany Trinh and Kira Scott, received this prestigious award. I am pleased that you will be able to read more about Tiffany and Kira this week.

To my current and future nursing colleagues — Happy Nursing Week!

To everyone I say: Want to honour a nurse? Please get your COVID vaccination as soon possible.

Sincerely,

Dr. Shannon Spenceley (BN ’84), RN
Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Lethbridge