Vice President – Administrative Services

Current Area of Practice: Patient Flow

Biography: I graduated from the UPEI School of Nursing in 2006 and started my nursing career as a float nurse at PCH before accepting a position in the Emergency Department in 2007. I enjoyed the challenges of working as an Emergency Nurse but eventually looked for a new challenge in May of 2019 when I accepted a Nursing Supervisor position at PCH. After a few months another opportunity presented itself and I jumped outside my comfort zone again to accept the position of Provincial Bed Coordinator and have been in that role since January of 2020.

My involvement in PEINU began in 2016 when I attended my first PEINU Education Day. Shortly after attending this event, I decided that I wanted to be more involved in union activities, but I wasn’t sure where to start. A few of my co-workers were already involved and encouraged me to run for my local executive. I was successful in becoming a member of the PCH Local Executive as the Secretary and eventually the Vice President. I was a member of the PCH Local Executive from the Fall of 2017 until January of 2020 when I moved to a new Local. During my time on the PCH Local Executive, I continued to attend the PEINU Education Days (2017 & 2019) as well as the 2018 PEINU AGM, 2018 Eastern Labour School and the 2019 CFNU Biennium.

In the Fall of 2020, the President position became empty in my new Local and I was really interested in continuing to be actively involved and increasing my roles and responsibilities in PEINU, so I ran for the Queens Local President position and was acclaimed to the role. As Local President, I represented Queens Local members during meetings with the employer and I was a member of the PEINU Board which involved working on Strategic planning for PEINU. I was also a member of the Constitution and Resolutions Committee (2021 – 2022), the Negotiations Committee (2021-2023) and continued to attend the PEINU Education days (2021-2023), the 2021 AGM and the 2021 CFNU Virtual Conference.

In the fall of 2021, I decided to continue to challenge myself and pursue even more union experience by running for the PEINU Provincial Secretary position. In this role, I not only attended Board meetings, but also Executive meetings which provided me with even more opportunities to learn. As the Provincial Secretary, I attended the 2022 and 2024 AGMs, the 2023 CFNU Biennium that was hosted by PEINU, the 2023 Federation of Labour meeting, 2024 PEINU AGM and 2024 Eastern Labour School (also hosted by PEINU)!

I am always looking for a new challenge and am very interested in getting to learn even more about union activities. As my nursing career has taken me from a focused area in the Emergency Department to a more Provincial view, so has my involvement in PEINU. I am passionate about advocating for PEINU members and I really want to increase engagement in PEINU!

Current Area of Practice: PACU/Day Surgery, PCH

Biography: I have been a Registered Nurse for 19 years, graduating from UPEI in 2005, and have spent my career so far at PCH. I started as a member of the float team, then moved to the Emergency Department, where I spent most of my career. Since 2020, I have been working in PACU and Day Surgery.

My union involvement began in 2014 when I attended Labour School in Moncton, NB. I very much enjoyed that experience and learned a lot. I then became treasurer for the PCH local that year, a role which I continue to do so presently. I have been to the majority of Labour Schools and CFNU events since then, as well as the PEINU AGMs.

I enjoy being involved in my local executive as it motivates me to keep learning about union issues and understanding our collective agreement. I feel that taking on an executive role provincially would give me an even greater opportunity to learn and understand important issues within our membership, knowledge that I can then use to educate and assist members of my local membership.

Current Area of Practice: Kensington Health Centre

Biography: Education;
– BN in 2012 from UNB
– Masters of Nursing; Nurse Practitioner in 2019 from Athabasca University.

Work Experience:

– Spent the majority of my 8 years as an RN in the ICU, ER, and Correction Services Canada in New Brunswick.
– As an NP, I have spent the last 5 years in Kensington carrying a family practice.

Key Achievements in My Nursing Career;
– Completing my master’s degree while working full time as an RN.
– Selected as NP of the year from PEINPA IN 2023-2024
– Building my family practice working as an independent clinician.

Challenges at a Union Level;
– Addressing pay inequity within the profession.
– Including RNs and NPs as key steak-holders when decisions are being made toward the profession.
– Ensuring that the public and government understand the importance of RNs and NPs in the health care system.
– Ensure that all members have equal opportunity to excel in the workplace.

Leadership Experience:

-NURSE PRACTITIONER EAST PRINCE WORKPLACE REPRESENTIVE
PEI Nurses Union | Charlottetown, PE | 2021-current
Represent Nurse Practitioners in the East Prince region of PEI. Provide colleagues with support, insight, guidance, and recommendations for a variety of labour relations concerns. Communicate between the NP members, employer, and union on current affairs.

NURSE PRACTITIONER MENTORSHIP
Kensington Health Centre (Health PEI) | Kensington, PE | 2021 – current
Ongoing support and intensive mentorship for NP students, newly licenced NPs, and NPs transitioning into primary care. With this one-on-one mentorship program, my goal is to integrate the NP into a supportive, stable, and collaborative work environment. Ongoing support after workplace integration is also provided to any NP for collaboration, case review, or general operational questions.

2023-2024 PEI NURSE PRACTITIONER OF THE YEAR
Nurse Practitioner Association of PEI | Awarded: June 2024
Nominated by my peers for ongoing work with the NP community and advocating for the NP profession in PEI. PEINPA focuses on awareness, workforce utilization, and advocacy for the NP profession and its community.

NURSE PRACTITIONER LOCAL PRESIDENT
PEI Nurses Union | Charlottetown, PE | 2021-2024
As the first union local in Canada to represent NPs, this elected position provided forward movement for NPs and their importance to the health care system in PEI. As President, meaningful advocacy and networking at various system levels was establish along with collaboration with various key stakeholders.

EASTERN LABOUR SCHOOL DELEGATE
PEI Nurses Union | Charlottetown, PE | Attended: June 2024
Conference inviting Nurses and NPs from all Atlantic provinces to participate in labour relations, current issues, and meaningful networking. This educational opportunity provided delegates the knowledge needed to enhance workplace equity and engage stakeholders at various levels of the healthcare systems and government.

CANADIAN FEDERATION OF NURSES UNIONS BIENNIUM CONFERENCE DELEGATE
PEI Nurses Union | Charlottetown, PE | Attended: June 2023
Participated in a week-long convention with Nurses from around the world. This experience provided me with the tools, knowledge, and leadership to advocate for patients and the health care resources they need as Canadians.

COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT NEGOTIATION COMMITTEE MEMBER
PEI Nurses Union/Health PEI | Charlottetown, PE | 2022-2023
As the first NP on the negotiations committee, first-hand knowledge was provided to the employer surrounding NP labour relations issues along with ongoing pay inequity, professional understanding, employer engagement, and successful integration into the workplace.