Celebrating National Nursing Week and The Power of Nurses to Transform Health
Monday, May 11 to Sunday, May 17 marks National Nursing Week across Canada. This year, the Canadian Nurses Association has adopted the theme of The Power of Nurses to Transform Health, which highlights the incredible impact nurses have in shaping health care, driving innovation and advocating for client- and family-centred care.
This inspiring theme aligns perfectly with the spirit of care provided by nurses at VHA Home HealthCare (VHA) each and every day. VHA nurses continuously ensure our clients receive the best possible care when and where they need it. They can be found in a wide variety of environments transforming the care our clients need. VHA nurses provide wound care, foot care pediatric care, palliative care and so much more both from the comfort of our clients’ homes or from community locations like clinics or partnership locations such as Michael Garron Hospital’s Kew Beach Unit.
The excellent care provided by our nurses is also reflected in VHA’s 2025 redesignation as a Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO) by Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNOA).
As part of our celebration of National Nursing Week, we asked a few of the fantastic nurses here at VHA why recognizing the impact nurses make is important and what being a nurse at VHA means to them.
To me being a nurse is the ability to advocate for clients who are undergoing a stressful and desperate journey of ill-health, to be present and give a piece of myself using my knowledge and skills compassionately to help comfort and answer their questions and act as a bridge to their healing journey. In this pursuit, VHA, has given me an incredible structure or a bond that enables me to get into action and connect with clients’ journey adequately.
Lita Baculna, RPN – North Clinic
Healing begins with skilled hands, compassionate hearts, and the expertise of a Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse Specialist.
The nurse specialist in wound, ostomy, and continence care exemplifies dedication through expert clinical knowledge, compassionate patient advocacy, and an unwavering commitment to improving quality of life. With specialized skills and a patient-centered approach, they provide advanced care, education, and support to individuals facing complex health challenges. Their professionalism, empathy, and leadership inspire confidence, promote healing, and restore dignity to every patient they serve. Through tireless commitment and excellence in practice, they make a lasting difference in the lives of patients, families, and healthcare team alike.
Carol Liu, NP – Nurse Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence (NSWOC)
Being a dedicated and resilient nurse comes from a deep sense of purpose, which helps nourish passion and support a long-lasting commitment to caring for others.
As a nurse, caring for others means dealing with unpredictable challenges that requires strength and patience.
Cyrille Panimdim, RN – Foot Care Nurse
Being a nurse is about more than providing care, it’s about showing up with compassion, strength, and dedication every day. While much of our work may go unseen, its impact is deeply felt in the lives of those we support. Having been born during Nurses Week, I’ve always felt a deep connection to this profession, as though I was meant to care and to be in a place where I can truly use my passion. As a community nurse, I value the strong nurse, patient, family relationships we build, where empathy, active listening, and truly hearing family’s feelings are essential. In palliative care, we walk alongside patients and their loved ones during some of life’s most emotional and vulnerable moments. It is a privilege to provide comfort, dignity, and compassionate support at home, offering emotional presence and meaningful companionship when it matters most.
Ruchi Shiwakoti – Palliative Care Nurse
The care that VHA nurses provide make an immeasurable difference in the lives of our clients and their families. Their skills, dedication and compassion help ensure home and community care across Ontario is delivered to the highest standards of excellence. Thank you to each nurse at VHA throughout National Nursing Week and every other week.