Good day members!
BLNC March 2024 newsletter
Black History Month was a great success for our interest group as it was filled with activities, networking, conferences, webinars and spreading awareness of our existence in the nursing community.
Fireside Chat with Shelly Philip LaForest
On Monday, Feb. 5, we began our Black history month with our online event ”Back by Popular Demand! Fireside Q&A Chat with Ph.D. Student Shelly Philip LaForest RN, BN MN, CVAA(C).” This was an hour-long event where people got to ask Shelly questions and nursing advice. The event went so well that our very own RNAO CEO Dr.Doris Grinspun joined in the session to support and give encouraging words as well as highlighting how great Shelly was. What a memorable event!
Celebrating Success and Legacy webinar
On Monday, Feb. 12 BNLC hosted our "Celebrating Success and Legacy" with Karima-Catherine Goundiam, tech entrepreneur and CEO of B2BeeMatch and Dr. Dionne Sinclair PhD MHM, MN,RN BScN, vice-president of clinical operations and chief nursing executive of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Our two-hour webinar was a great success where both of these inspirational ladies discussed their life journeys of their hard work and success which has lead to their powerful roles they lead and exemplify today. The feedback, response and the questions that were asked by the audience was such a great success.
BNLC at Ottawa General Hospital
On Friday, Feb. 23, BNLC was involved in the Black Community Market that was hosted by the Ottawa General Hospital for Black History Month. Our very own membership ENO Kaywana Malcolm and our past president Dania Versailles were there to represent us. This was a great event that allowed many health-care workers to see our existence and how we play an important role in nursing.
BNLC in Ottawa University
On Monday, Feb. 26, our student ENO April Azor-Gagne was at Ottawa University and Algonquin College promoting our interest group. While there, April discussed racism in health care with nursing students and provided them with mentoring advice.
BNLC at Queens Park Day!!
Thursday, Feb. 29 was RNAO Queen's Park Day. A day where RNAO executives, leaders, representatives and general members visited the Ontario legislature at Queen's Park in Toronto to bring awareness of Ontario's nurses and their advocacy. Our very own president Lori Zozzolotto as well as our finance ENO Daria Adèle Juüdi-Hope and student ENO Chinyere Mbah attended. Lori's impactful speech about our ancestry and recognizing our importance to health care resonated through the audience and to the political leaders.
If you have not already, please follow us on our following social media platforms:
X (formerly Twitter) https://twitter.com/BNLC_RNAO
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bnlc_rnao
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/black-nurses-leading-change-b83677255
If you have any questions, concerns or if you would like us to be a part of any projects, seminars, discussions please free to contact email us at blacknursesleadingchange@gmail.com
The Black Nurses Leading Change executive committee