CHNIG plays an important role for Community Health Nursing (CHN) through actions to influence health and social policy, build capacity for Community Health Nursing, strengthening profiles of CHNs and articulating the significance of our practice. Click Here for CHNIG Mission and Goals

It is time for all CHNs in Ontario to take a leadership role in identifying the importance of their practice to the health of Ontarians. The election will lead to many new decisions by government that will impact the health of our communities. Speak up to ensure these decisions make a change for the better! I ask all community health nurses to think about the role they can play to influence the changes needed to sustain our health care system. CHNs are pivotal to improving the health care system. To quote Florence Nightingale; "Were there none who were discontented with what they have, the world would never reach anything better." Talk to us so CHNIG can represent your concerns and solutions. Speak up about what isn't working and so CHNIG (and you) can provide clear direction to government about how CHNs can improve the system.

Ensure you build evidence into your practice! the next time you are carrying out a task at work ask yourself why? Is the way you are practicing based on evidence? Is there a more cost effective way to provide the necessary care or better yet can we keep Ontarians healthier and avoid an illness-based model of practice.

It was clear at the National Community Health Nurses Conference in Ottawa this June that CHNs recognize the need for change. Michael Villeneuve closed the conference speaking about how we can harness the leadership of Canada's Community Health Nurses through using the Community Health Nurses of Canada Blueprint for Action

http://www.chnc.ca/documents/2011March30Blueprint_Final.pdf

I would like to close by quoting CNA President, Barb Mildon; "Leadership -- it is in you to live!" Look for opportunities to lead change in Community Health Nursing!

Sincerely and passionately,
Cindy Baker-Barill

Educating students to work in our present day environment is challenging. Nurses today need to work within the broad view of health. They need to be more aware of the issues their clients experience which are beyond the individual's control. Nurses need to learn to work within an intersectoral, interdisciplinary environment, in partnership with the client, not for the client. Unfortunately, our health care system, still focused on the medical model of health and skills, creates barriers for our novice nurses. It does little to nurture the true work and expertise in nursing. We must continue to advocate for the valuing of concepts foundational not only to community health nursing practice but to practice in all areas where nurses are found.

Each Newsletter will feature members of CHNIG Board of Directors or CHNIG Members. If you would like to submit please email Newsletter@chnig.org answering the following questions (attaching a photo if possible):

1. What is your role as a Community Health Nurse?
2. What is one of your most memorable experiences as a CHN?
3. What challenges do you face in your professional role?
4. If you were to share a piece of wisdom for nursing students or new graduate RNs, what would that be?

CHNIG Research Awards ($1500 each):

Barbara Chyzzy

Barbara is a second year PhD student at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto. Her research is investigating the prevention of postpartum depression among adolescent mothers. Barbara is also a clinical instructor at the University of Toronto and Humber College / UNB Collaborative Bachelor of Nursing Program teaching in the area of community nursing.

Alana Devereau

Alana is a primary health care nurse and a PhD student at the University of Ottawa. Her research is focused on improving public health emergency planning and the working conditions of front line nurses. Alana's first love is primary health care and she believes that we cannot separate academia from clinical practice.

CHNIG Educational Scholarships ($1500 each):

Susan Bookey-Bassett

Susan is a full-time PhD student at McMaster University School of Nursing. She has worked in a variety of nursing roles and currently teaches on a part-time basis at McMaster. She works closely with her supervisor on a variety of research projects in the Aging Community & Health Research Unit related to chronic disease management for community-living older adults. Her doctoral dissertation research includes developing, implementing and evaluating an inter-professional education intervention for a community-based diabetes team of health care and community-service providers.

Ruth Walker

Ruth is a Public Health Nurse with experience in tobacco use prevention, sexual health and youth programming. Ruth currently works at the Peterborough County-City Health Unit with a focus on Child Poverty. Ruth's passion for public health inspired her to study how public health nurses describe the art of nursing for her master's thesis, and will graduate from Athabasca University in June with a Master in Nursing.

Seed Grant Initiative ($500 each)

The Southwest Professional Practice Leaders Network Membership List

This is a group of Chief Nursing Officers and Professional Practice Leads from nine southwestern Public Health Units. The group was formed to enhance regional collaboration, and resource-sharing. The membership will hold a one-day educational event for regional public health nurses in the fall of 2014 in the London, ON area. This interactive, full-day educational event will provide a venue for networking and collaboration as well as increase the knowledge related to specific professional competencies identified by the PHNs in the region.

CHNIG Professional Development Bursary to Attend the 9th National Community Health Nurses of Canada Conference: June 2-4, 2014, Ottawa, ON was awarded to 11 Members.

Homeless plead for day in court in landmark Charter case, May 2014, Laurie Monsebraaten, Toronto Star.

Everyone deserves healthy food and a fair chance at good health, May 2014, Lisa Needham, Guelph Mercury.

Is there an article or news story you would like featured in our next newsletter? Please email CommunicationsNewsletter@CHNIG.org

(CHNIG is not affiliated with the above mentioned news outlets, all opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of CHNIG or it's board members)

The monthly seminars are free of charge and open to all nurses. They are typically held on the third Thursday of the month from 12-1pm EST. Past presentations were very successful and covered the topics of Smoking Cessation, the Aging at Home Strategy, Chronic Disease Prevention, Cultural Safety, Primary Health Care, Political Action, Youth Engagement, Social Determinants of Health, Mental Health Promotion and our most recent presentation," Supporting Nurses Who Provide Care at Home and at Work: Translating Knowledge into Policy".

All presentations are archived at here. Please see CHNIG events calendar for more details. All participants are eligible to receive a certificate of attendance by completing the post-seminar survey available on our website.

Visit CHNIG on Facebook! We frequently update our page with interesting information and updates on CHNIG activities. Click here to visit our page!

For more of our recent seminars, click here!