https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2026/10/05/coeur-de-la-profession-infirmiere
A message to every nursing student and nurse: your voice matters
By Scarlett Montserrat Sanabria-Ramos
October 5, 2026
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Advocacy doesn’t have to be big to be powerful; it just has to start somewhere. Every conversation, every question, every act of kindness has the potential to ripple outward and make a difference.
When I first arrived in Canada from Mexico in 2012, I was filled with both excitement and uncertainty. As a first-generation immigrant, I carried with me the dreams of my family to build a life of purpose, to give back to the community that welcomed us, and to turn resilience into something meaningful.
Scarlett Montserrat Sanabria-Ramos says that for her, “advocacy stopped being an abstract concept and became something deeply personal, a responsibility to use my platform to amplify voices, share stories, and make sure that every student, no matter where they come from, feels that they belong in nursing.”
In 2024, I completed a bachelor of health sciences in the French immersion stream at the University of Ottawa, an achievement I was deeply proud of. Yet something inside me still felt unfinished. I had learned so much about health systems — and community — but I hadn’t yet found the place where compassion and purpose could meet.
It took time, a period of reflection, and lived experience, especially during my work at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, to understand what I was truly meant to do. Watching nurses lead with courage and empathy during some of the most difficult days in health care changed everything for me. I saw how they not only provided care but also advocated: for their patients, for families, for safety, and for one another.
Finding my voice
That experience at CHEO lit something in me. It showed me that nursing was not just a profession — it was a calling rooted in compassion, advocacy and hope.
So, I followed that calling.
But finding my voice within nursing didn’t happen overnight. Like many students, I entered nursing school thinking mostly about the clinical side of care, mastering skills, memorizing pathophysiology, and learning to comfort patients in pain. What I didn’t realize at first was that advocacy is the heartbeat of nursing. It’s what gives meaning to every assessment, every interaction, every small act of compassion.
In 2025–2026, I was elected as the director of communications for the Canadian Nursing Students’ Association (CNSA), a moment that changed my life forever. At my very first CNSA national nursing students conference, I sat among hundreds of passionate students, leaders and mentors from across the country. The energy was electric, filled with ideas, laughter, and a shared belief that nursing could be a force for change.
It was in that moment, and even during the election period itself, that something inside me shifted. I realized I wasn’t just running for myself; I was running for them — for the many Mexican girls and boys who dream of becoming nurses, for my peers sitting beside me at that conference, and for the thousands of nursing students across Canada who deserve to see themselves represented and heard.
That realization changed everything. Advocacy stopped being an abstract concept and became something deeply personal, a responsibility to use my platform to amplify voices, share stories, and make sure that every student, no matter where they come from, feels that they belong in nursing.
The beauty of inexperience
You see, as nursing students, we sometimes think that our role stops us from finding our voice in the system — that we’re too small, too inexperienced, or that our opinions don’t carry the same weight as those who’ve been in the field for years. But what I’ve learned is that it’s often the beauty of that inexperience that brings about the most important changes.
When you’re new, you see things differently. You question what others might have accepted as “just the way it is.” You carry curiosity, hope, and a willingness to imagine something better. That’s the gift of being a student — we bring fresh eyes, new ideas, and open hearts into spaces that need renewal. Our questions, our energy, and our courage to challenge the status quo are what keep nursing moving forward.
We may be students, but we are also the future of this profession. Every time we speak up, collaborate, or advocate, even in the smallest of ways, we remind others that leadership isn’t about titles or years of experience. It’s about care, conviction, and the courage to believe that our voices matter.
Through my work with CNSA and as part of the board of directors of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), I have come to understand that advocacy is not just a skill, it is a responsibility. It begins with each of us. It’s in the small acts: speaking up when something doesn’t feel right, supporting a peer who feels unseen, or asking how we can make our learning and practice environments more inclusive.
Being part of CNA has shown me what collective advocacy looks like in action. It has connected me with mentors, leaders and peers who remind me that our voices as students matter. CNA has opened doors to professional growth, policy involvement, and opportunities to turn passion into impact. It has helped me see that my experience as a Mexican-born, first-generation immigrant is not a limitation, but rather a source of strength and perspective that makes my advocacy more grounded, more human, and more necessary.
Advocacy is an act of courage
Advocacy, I’ve learned, comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s loud — speaking out in a meeting or organizing change. Sometimes it’s quiet — a hand on a shoulder, a kind word, a decision to stand by what’s right when no one is watching. But always, advocacy is an act of courage. It’s what transforms nursing from a job into a movement.
And there are so many ways nursing students can advocate right now: by engaging with school-based or national nursing student associations, by participating in community health initiatives, by joining committees or interest groups within CNA, or even by simply sharing their stories. Advocacy doesn’t have to be big to be powerful; it just has to start somewhere. Every conversation, every question, every act of kindness has the potential to ripple outward and make a difference.
For students, CNA is one of the best places to start that journey. CNA connects students to nurses across the country — to leaders, mentors, and innovators who are shaping the future of Canadian health care. It’s a space where you can grow, learn, and be heard — and where your voice is not only welcomed but valued. Through CNA, students don’t just observe change, they help lead it.
As a nursing student, I’ve realized that advocacy is how I honour where I come from and what I stand for. It’s how I bridge my heritage with my profession, using my story to build connection, empathy and change.
To every nursing student reading this: your voice matters. You don’t need a title to make a difference. Advocacy begins the moment you realize that caring goes beyond clinical work. It’s about standing up for equity, compassion, and respect in every space you enter.
When you join CNA, you’re not just joining an association, you’re joining a community of nurses who believe that change is possible when we raise our voices together. You’re joining your lifelong family, one that listens to you, supports you, and uplifts you at every step of your journey.
For me, that’s exactly what CNA has become: a family. A family of passionate, courageous nurses who remind me that advocacy isn’t something we do alone, it’s something we do for each other. I’m proud to be part of this community, and it truly feels good to advocate for your family.
Because nursing, at its core, is not just about what we do — it’s about who we become when we choose to care with courage. And that, I believe, is the greatest form of advocacy there is.
Scarlett Montserrat Sanabria-Ramos is a BScN student at the University of Ottawa and president of the Canadian Nursing Students’ Association.
#opinions
#advocacy
#nursing-education
#leadership
#professional-development