Every May, around the birthday of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, we celebrate the vital contributions of nurses across the country. This year, National Nursing Week falls on May 12-18, and the theme, ‘The Power of Nurses to Transform Health’, recognizes the crucial role nurses play in shaping our health care system, driving innovation and advocating for client- and family- centred care.

At VHA Home Health Care (VHA), we’re proud to recognize the extraordinary impact of our nursing team—including registered practical nurses (RPNs), registered nurses (RNs), and nurse practitioners (NPs). Our dedicated specialists are at the heart of our organization, supporting clients of all ages and in a variety of care settings. Through their specialized, high-quality care, VHA nurses make our clients’ lives safer and their health challenges more manageable.

To mark National Nursing Week, we’re highlighting the essential role of nursing in home care and sharing insights from Kylie Caibaiosai, a Registered Practical Nurse at VHA, on what drives her passion for the profession.

---

The Unique Role of Home Care Nursing

Home care nursing is a specialized and essential area of practice that brings care directly into people’s homes, workplaces and community spaces. As Ontario’s health system becomes increasingly complex, with an aging population and more individuals living with chronic conditions, home care nurses have risen to meet the challenge.

In-home community care nurses support clients across the lifespan, from infants needing infusion therapy to seniors recovering after surgery. Their ability to work independently—often without access to hospital equipment or immediate support from colleagues—demands advanced clinical skills, quick decision-making and adaptability.

By helping clients stay safe at home, home care nurses not only ease pressure on hospitals and long-term care facilities, they also help build a more sustainable health system. Home care nurses deliver a wide-range of meaningful, hands-on care, including:

• Adult Clinical Care: wound and foot care, post-surgical support, pain and symptom management, infusion therapy (including antibiotics, hydration and chemotherapy), medication monitoring and chronic disease management.
• Paediatric Care: enteral feeding tube support, tracheostomy care, respiratory equipment management and hospital to home transitions
• Support for Vulnerable Populations: fall prevention, mobility support, monitoring for health deterioration and emotional and crisis support for those living with mental health challenges
• Palliative and End-of-Life Care: advance care planning, symptom relief and emotional support for clients and families

These services reflect just some of the many ways home care nurses empower individuals to live safely, independently and with dignity at home.

---

Meet Kylie Caibaiosai, Registered Practical Nurse and Care Team Supervisor at VHA

One of the nurses delivering care with heart at VHA is Kylie Caibaiosai, a registered practical nurse (RPN) and Care Team Supervisor who joined the organization in July 2024.

Kylie’s path into nursing wasn’t a straight line. She started her career in social services, supporting individuals facing mental health and substance use challenges, housing insecurity and systemic barriers.

“Through that work, I found myself drawn to the intersection of physical and emotional care—especially those one-on-one relationships where trust, advocacy and connection really mattered,” she says.

While on maternity leave, Kylie took time to reflect and realized that the emotional toll of her work was becoming unsustainable.

“I knew I needed to pivot and find something that still allowed me to help people but in a more hands-on and immediate way,” she says. “I took a leap, went back to school for nursing, and haven’t looked back.”

Now at VHA, Kylie supports a dedicated team of personal support workers (PSWs), ensuring consistent, compassionate, high-quality care for clients and their families. Her clinical expertise equipped her with the skills to coach staff, resolve concerns for both clients and PSWs, collaborate with scheduling and nursing teams and adapt care plans to meet clients’ evolving needs.

“For me, working in home care feels deeply meaningful,” Kylie says. “What I love most is the trust that comes with being welcomed into someone’s home and being a part of their care journey. It’s something I never take for granted.”

Kylie’s background in mental health and harm reduction continues to shape her approach, especially when helping her team navigate complex or crisis situations. “My previous role strengthened my empathy, deepened my understanding of people and taught me to meet them where they are at—without judgement,” she says.

To advance her clinical education and scope of practice, Kylie is studying at Seneca College to become a Registered Nurse and plans to eventually work towards a nurse practitioner designation. Her long-term goal is to support underserved populations, particularly Indigenous communities and women impacted by domestic violence.

To support this next stage of her education, Kylie was recently awarded the Registered Nursing Foundation of Ontario’s Anne L. Coghlan Scholarship.

“This scholarship is not only helpful financially, but it also validates the path I’ve taken, reminding me that the long, winding road was worth it. At one point, you couldn’t pay me to go back to school, but now I’ve grown into someone who genuinely loves learning,” she says.

---

Kylie’s story shows that sometimes the most meaningful careers aren’t planned. They’re discovered though lived experiences, personal growth and a deep desire to make a difference.

Throughout National Nursing Week and every day, VHA celebrates our nurses for the skill, compassion and dedication they bring to their work, and for the lasting impact they make on the lives of our clients, families and team members.