The World Health Organization designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, in recognition of the vital role that both professions play in delivering health services. Never has this been truer than in 2020, as COVID-19 took hold around the world.
Over the past year, nurses and midwives have been called upon to deliver care to patients and clients under extraordinary circumstances. Many of you have been part of the ‘frontline’ team of healthcare workers supporting COVID efforts. Others have stepped in to ensure that British Columbians’ non-COVID-related care needs continue to be met. You have been asked to provide care in familiar and unfamiliar settings, following new safety protocols and procedures. And you’ve also served as unofficial ambassadors, encouraging others to do their part to help flatten the curve of the virus.
While WHO’s International Year of the Nurse and Midwife may wrap up on December 31, your contributions to the healthcare system — and in fighting the pandemic — will not. As I write this, provincial and federal officials are working hard to prepare for distributing COVID vaccines. While we don’t yet know what that looks like for British Columbia, I fully expect that BCCNM registrants will be asked to play an important role. And I am confident that you will carry out this work with the same professionalism and compassion that you bring to your roles every day.
On behalf of the BC College of Nurses and Midwives, thank you for your ongoing dedication to your patients and clients during this unprecedented time.
BCCNM's COVID-19 resource centres