The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) and rabble.ca have partnered together to produce Nurses’ Voices: Stories of courage and determination in the face of COVID-19, a collection of stories which chronicles Canadian nurses’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nurses’ Voices puts the sacrifices Canadian healthcare workers made during this time in sharp focus. Many nurses needed to be isolated from families during the pandemic, worked extended hours with little to no time off, and grappled with the heartache of witnessing loss close-up as patients succumbed to the virus.
The book highlights over 25 voices from healthcare workers across the country as they recount their memories of the pandemic over the past three years.
Taking on the task of conducting interviews for the book were rabble’s national politics reporter Stephen Wentzell and rabble columnist Matthew Behrens. Both rabble team members said they were moved by the nurses’ stories of endurance and resilience.
“What a privilege to speak with so many front line nurses, who have their finger on the pulse of a collapsing health care system,” Behrens says. “Even as they see governments looking for excuses to cut and privatize health care, they continue fiercely advocating for their patients and their communities. They are truly the bright lights of this disturbing time.”
“Thank you to each nurse for taking the time to talk about what life was like on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Wentzell says. “And for those who still don’t believe COVID is serious, just read one of these stories. If these nurses won’t change your mind, I don’t know what will.”
COVID-19 has helped shine a light on the impact the nurse shortage is having on Canada’s health care system. Before the pandemic, research revealed many nurses were feeling burned out; and now, with the added pressures of the pandemic, the number of those suffering has jumped to nearly half of all nurses in Canada.
CFNU president Linda Silas, says she hopes the stories will shine a light on the “tremendous burden” nurses have carried since 2020. “These stories show just to what extent the pandemic upended nurses’ lives, but also how, despite it all, nurses’ commitment to their patients, residents and clients was unwavering.”
Nurses’ Voices: Stories of courage and determination in the face of COVID-19 is available as a free download here.
To hear some of the nurses’ stories included in this project, be sure to tune in to rabble radio later this week.
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Nick Seebruch, editor
