Remembering a remarkable nurse

The nursing community came together in November to celebrate the life of Dr. Helen K. Mussallem, a remarkable nurse leader who passed away in Ottawa on Nov. 9 at age 97.

We were privileged at CNA to have this strong visionary leader as our executive director from 1963 to 1981. Over her lifetime, she had a stellar international career, becoming one of the most influential figures in Canada’s nursing history. Mussallem’s numerous honorary doctorates and prestigious awards, including the International Red Cross’s Florence Nightingale Medal and the Companion of the Order of Canada, made her Canada’s most decorated nurse.