Minister’s statement on B.C. Indigenous Nurses Day
Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, has released the following statement on the third-annual B.C. Indigenous Nurses Day, April 10, 2024:
“On this special day, we honour First Nations, Métis and Inuit nurses for their invaluable contribution to B.C.’s health-care system and their leadership in creating culturally safe care environments.
“Indigenous nurses are an integral part of our health-care system. On behalf of our government, I want to express our sincere appreciation for their collaboration and continuous commitment to reconciliation.
“Indigenous Nurses Day marks the birth anniversary of Charlotte Edith Anderson Monture, member of the Mohawk Tribe in Ohsweken, Ont. and the first Indigenous person in Canada to become a registered nurse. In addition, it is also the day to recognize Rose Casper, member of the St’at’imc Nation and the first Indigenous nurse in Western Canada.
“Being a nurse is a commitment to helping people, and with this is the collective challenge of ensuring culturally sensitive and equitable health care within an evolving health-care system. Indigenous nurses play a crucial role in this effort, and for this, and all their tireless work to serving people throughout the province, we are deeply grateful.
“Indigenous nurses are in a critical role in our health system for the care they provide and the perspective they bring to our workforce. To ensure they, and all nurses, are supported in the workplace as they do this important work, we continue to invest in improving working conditions, wages, mental-health and anti-racism supports, and career-development opportunities for nurses in B.C.
“We remain dedicated to ending Indigenous-specific racism and discrimination, and improving cultural safety and quality of care for Indigenous Peoples. This is in line with the In Plain Sight report and B.C.’s Health Human Resources Strategy, which support the integration of trauma-informed practices, culturally safe and relevant care, and anti-racism standards into British Columbia’s health-care system.
“Thank you to all Indigenous nurses around the province for your exceptional work caring for people in B.C.”
Learn More:
To learn more about government’s commitment to addressing Indigenous-specific racism and discrimination, visit:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022HLTH0226-001827 and
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022IRR0018-000457
To learn more about B.C.’s Health Human Resources Strategy, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022HLTH0059-001464