https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2025/05/14/systeme-sante-plus-solide-personnel-infirmier
CNA’s CEO shares her nursing vision in Q&A article for National Nursing Week
By Valerie Grdisa
May 14, 2025
“Nurses need to work at the top of their scope as part of the shift in health service delivery solutions, including the expansion of team-based and nurse-led models of care. Nursing leadership needs to synergize efforts to ensure the nursing workforce is fully optimized, particularly in areas such as chronic disease management and primary care, where they can have the greatest impact,” CNA CEO Dr. Valerie Grdisa says.
If you could have 10 minutes of one-on-one time with the new prime minister, what would you say?
Prime Minister Mark Carney, as you take office, you have an opportunity to lead a generational transformation of our health system — one that truly delivers for Canadians. Canada is investing over $344 billion in health care this year, and yet outcomes are inconsistent, access is strained, and our workforce is stretched to the breaking point. It's time to reimagine health care — and that starts with nurses.
Nurses are the backbone of the system — highly skilled, deeply trusted, and uniquely positioned to improve outcomes at every point of care. But they remain underutilized, restricted by outdated models, legislative barriers, and underinvestment. Canada needs a bold, national health workforce strategy — centred around modernizing regulation, enabling national licensure, supporting ethical international recruitment, and empowering nurses to lead innovative, team-based, nurse-led models of care.
We must also invest in the mental health and well-being of nurses, who are facing unprecedented levels of moral distress, violence and burnout. This includes enforcing workplace protections, funding mental health supports, advancing anti-racism and cultural safety, and growing Indigenous nursing leadership. Without a healthy workforce, there is no health care.
Federal leadership must ensure sustainable health funding goes toward public solutions — like permanent, publicly funded nursing roles — instead of relying on expensive private staffing agencies that erode equity. We also need better data, workforce planning, and retention strategies to stabilize our system for the long term.
Health care doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Nurses see firsthand the impact of housing insecurity, food costs, climate change, and systemic inequity on health. We urge your government to invest in the social determinants of health and to prioritize environmentally sustainable health care. Nurses are ready to lead on climate resilience, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), and digital transformation — if given the tools and trust to do so.
And finally, misinformation and disinformation are threatening public health and undermining trust. Nurses can be powerful advocates in public health education, harm reduction, and disease prevention — if equipped with training and support.
Prime Minister Carney, there are over half a million regulated, retired and student nurses in Canada — 1 in 57 voters. Fully empowering this workforce is not just the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do. The path to a stronger, more sustainable, and equitable health system runs through nurses. Let’s unite across the nation to co-create that future together.
How do you see the nursing profession evolving over the next five years? What role do you envision CNA playing in that evolution?
Over the next five years, the nursing profession in Canada will undergo significant transformation as it adapts to evolving health system demands and the growing complexity of patient care. Nurses will increasingly be required to work at the top of their scope of practice, leveraging their expertise to address rising chronic disease rates, an aging population, and the challenges of providing equitable care in underserved communities. The profession will also play a pivotal role in integrating new technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI), into health-care delivery, streamlining processes, improving care quality, and reducing overall costs.
A critical aspect of this evolution will be the optimization of the nursing workforce. Currently, nurses face barriers such as outdated interjurisdictional licensure regulations that limit mobility and increase administrative burdens. Over the next five years, I envision these barriers being dismantled through the creation of a national licensure framework, which will enable nurses to practise seamlessly across provinces and territories. This will improve system efficiency, enhance flexibility in care delivery, and ensure that nurses are available where they are needed most, particularly in rural, remote, northern and Indigenous communities. Such reforms will also help “bend the cost curve,” making health-care delivery more efficient and cost-effective while ensuring better access to care.
Nurses need to work at the top of their scope as part of the shift in health service delivery solutions, including the expansion of team-based and nurse-led models of care. Nursing leadership needs to synergize efforts to ensure the nursing workforce is fully optimized, particularly in areas such as chronic disease management and primary care, where they can have the greatest impact. The federal government’s investment in expanding publicly funded nurse practitioner positions and other advanced practice roles will allow nurses to provide more comprehensive care, addressing health system pressures and improving patient outcomes.
To further support this evolution, it is essential that the federal government invests in nursing education, leadership development, and specialty training and expertise, including the CNA Certification Program. As population health needs grow, the demand for specialized nursing expertise will increase. CNA will play a pivotal role in driving these educational reforms, ensuring that nurses are equipped with the skills necessary to meet the evolving needs of the health system. This includes advocating for increased funding for nursing education seats, expanding advanced practice nursing roles, and promoting the value of nursing specialty certification.
AI and other advanced technologies will also be integral to the future of nursing. Nurses, with their deep understanding of patient care, are uniquely positioned to lead the integration of AI in health systems. As trusted health professionals, nurses can help shape AI governance frameworks to ensure these technologies are ethically and effectively incorporated into care delivery. In the coming years, AI will streamline many administrative and clinical processes, improving efficiencies, enhancing care quality, and reducing health-care costs. CNA will play an essential role in supporting nurses through advocacy and policy development and promoting education on AI integration, ensuring that the workforce is prepared to lead this transformation.
Workforce retention and well-being will be critical in the coming years, as nurses face increasing workplace demands, including high workloads and mental health challenges. Federal action is needed to address these issues by investing in proven strategies for improving workplace safety, supporting mental health, and providing leadership development opportunities. CNA will continue to advocate for national workplace protections and mental health supports, ensuring that nurses have the resources and support they need to thrive in their roles and provide the best possible care.
CNA will also be instrumental in leading efforts to tackle misinformation and disinformation, particularly around vaccines and public health issues. Nurses are trusted communicators, and with the proper tools and training, they can combat false information and improve public health literacy. Over the next five years, CNA will continue to empower nurses to lead these efforts through media campaigns and educational initiatives that promote evidence-based care and build public trust in the health system.
In summary, the nursing profession will evolve into a more integrated, tech-savvy, and leadership-driven force within the health system over the next five years. CNA will play a critical role in supporting this transformation by advocating for necessary policy reforms, expanding educational opportunities, supporting nursing workforce retention, and championing the integration of advanced technologies like AI.
In your view, what are the biggest obstacles facing nurses today? How is CNA advocating for solutions?
Nurses across Canada are facing a convergence of systemic challenges that threaten not only their well-being but also the sustainability of our publicly funded, not-for-profit health system. The most pressing obstacles include unsustainable workloads, widespread moral distress, workplace violence, and persistent systemic inequities. These issues are exacerbated by health system fragmentation, outdated models of care, and a failure to fully optimize the nursing workforce across all jurisdictions.
Mental health and burnout are critical concerns — nurses are leaving the profession not because they no longer care, but because the environments they work in are no longer safe or sustainable. At the same time, we see scope of practice underutilization, especially for advanced practice nurses, and a lack of consistent national workplace protections that uphold psychological and physical safety.
CNA is actively advocating for bold, evidence-informed federal leadership to address these issues head-on. Our key priorities include:
- Investing in mental health supports tailored for nurses and scaling up proven programs like Care for Caregivers and Frontline Wellness.
- Enforcing federal legislation to prevent workplace harassment and violence, with accountability measures such as public reporting and targeted funding for implementation and monitoring.
- Advancing cultural safety and anti-racism initiatives, especially to support First Nations, Inuit and Métis nurses and ensure equity across all care settings.
- Driving nursing leadership development, particularly for point-of-care leaders, to help foster healthy, resilient workplaces and reduce costs through innovative care models.
- Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technologies into point of care delivery in a way that supports clinical decision-making, reduces administrative burden, and strengthens patient outcomes — while ensuring that nurses are driving their design and implementation.
We are also focused on strengthening Canada’s public health system and tackling health misinformation through nurse-led education and national media campaigns. As trusted professionals, nurses have a vital role to play in rebuilding public confidence in evidence-based care and pandemic preparedness.
Finally, CNA continues to advocate for a unified national nursing strategy that enhances labour mobility, streamlines regulation across jurisdictions, and supports health human resource planning grounded in real-time data and population health needs through care system redesign and nursing workforce optimization.
The time to act is now! Nurses are ready to build on the profession’s rich legacy of resilience, innovation and expertise and lead in every corner of the nation, but they need federal leadership that matches their courage and commitment. CNA is fully committed to being that national voice and partner — working with governments, interest parties, and our communities to deliver sustainable, people-centred solutions.
As a leader, how do you foster a culture of collaboration and innovation within your organization?
In my leadership approach, I prioritize collaboration and innovation as foundational elements for achieving meaningful transformation, especially in the complex and dynamic health-care environment. My career, spanning more than three decades, has been deeply rooted in system transformation, where I have led dozens of initiatives to improve integration, care system design, and service delivery across health and human services sectors.
To foster collaboration, I champion a culture where communication flows freely across all levels of the organization. Whether it’s working with direct service/care colleagues, middle management, or senior executives, I ensure that every voice is heard and valued in decision-making processes. This has proven essential in a health system that requires coordination between various participants, including service providers, the people we serve, and partner organizations. I’ve consistently demonstrated this approach through the frameworks I’ve developed to assess and enhance system integration, which consider the critical dimensions of structure, process, leadership and collaboration.
One of my key leadership initiatives at CMHA Simcoe County was the establishment of the Just Culture Steering Committee. This committee is composed solely of direct service (‘clinical’) and corporate services staff, with the CEO being the only member from management. The purpose of this committee was to ensure a safe and transparent environment where staff can openly discuss how well we are living up to our organizational values. This initiative was crucial because it supports a culture of accountability, where staff members feel empowered to voice concerns, reflect on practices, and collaboratively solve issues. This effort aligned with my belief that true innovation and collaboration are rooted in trust and respect, and it enables the organization to learn and adapt in real-time.
In terms of fostering innovation, I create an environment that encourages experimentation and new ideas, while also ensuring that those ideas are evidence-based and aligned with organizational goals. I’ve consistently worked on redesigning care systems and optimizing processes, utilizing technology to drive efficiencies and improve patient care. However, innovation is not just about adopting new technologies or tools; it’s about creating a mindset where staff at all levels are encouraged to think creatively and challenge the status quo.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my leadership is seeing the collective power of individuals working together toward a shared vision. I believe that fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation begins by recognizing that leadership is not a top-down function. Instead, it’s about engaging everyone in the organization to contribute their expertise, creativity, and passion toward achieving our goals. This collaborative spirit is essential in health care, where every team member’s contribution is vital to the overall success of the organization.
As I near my one-year anniversary as CNA CEO, I remain focused on bold change that inspire people’s social conscience, champions the power of collaboration, and fosters innovation at every level of the organization. By empowering the CNA team (board, staff, members), volunteers and our incredible partners to work together and learn from each other, I believe we can create a sustainable and transformative culture that exceeds the needs of CNA members and achieves our vision — progressive leadership that unites nurses to advance our profession, the health of Canadians, and a healthier environment and society.
Dr. Valerie Grdisa, RN, PhD, is the CEO of the Canadian Nurses Association and has over 30 years of diverse experience across public, private, not-for-profit, and senior government roles, with deep knowledge of Canada’s health system.
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