https://www.cna-aiic.ca/fr/blogs/ic-contenu/2025/09/22/une-annee-dimpact-de-progres-et-de-partenariat
Dear CNA Members, Academy Fellows, Nursing Colleagues, and Health Partners,
As I reflect on my first year as CEO of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude, purpose, and optimism. From day one, I have been inspired by the strength, dedication, and compassion that define our profession—and it has been an incredible honour to work alongside you in advancing CNA’s mission and shaping a stronger, more inclusive, and more sustainable health-care system for all.
When I began this journey, I committed to listening deeply, engaging actively, and elevating the voices of nurses across every part of the country – coast to coast to coast. That commitment remains steadfast. Over this past year, I have had the privilege of connecting with direct care nurses, educators, researchers, health leaders, policymakers, students, and advocates—each of you contributing your unique expertise and passion to the collective advancement of health and nursing in Canada.
Together, we’ve laid the foundation for transformation.
We began by listening—to CNA members, the broader nursing family, and our national and provincial/territorial partners. Your insights helped shape our national survey on membership and the future of nursing and health care, revealing clear priorities: support for advocacy, professional development, community building, improved visibility, and modernization. These responses are not just data points—they are a call to action. And we have responded.
In just one year, CNA has amplified its national voice through robust government relations, active policy engagement, and strategic advocacy efforts. We have emphasized the essential leadership of nurses in transforming models of care, designing health policy, advancing mental health supports, and shaping future-ready solutions through AI and digital health. We elevated our presence across the country and beyond—through CNA's participation in dozens of national and international conferences, the acceptance of six abstracts for the 2025 International Council of Nurses Congress, and renewed collaboration with CNA Fellows, amplified the impacts of the Action Councils, and optimized the specialty expertise of the Canadian Network of Nursing Specialties.
One of the highlights of the year was our Third National Anti-Racism Summit in November 2024, which brought together more than 1,000 participants. It was a testament to our collective resolve to create a more equitable, culturally safe, and anti-racist health system. CNA’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and reconciliation remains central to our work, including our upcoming Anti-Indigenous Racism Knowledge Sharing Event scheduled next week on September 29, 2025.
CNA’s credentialing and education initiatives also expanded significantly this year. We awarded the first Stellar Certification to Montreal’s Grace Dart Extended Care Centre and accredited over 40 new or renewed continuing education courses, with dozens more in progress. More than 1,000 nurses wrote certification exams in 2024, and a new portfolio-based certification pilot is underway in partnership with the Canadian Forensic Nurses Association and McMaster University. These achievements underscore CNA’s leadership in shaping the future of nursing education and professional excellence.
We engaged you in a survey and three webinars to put forward a bold, evidence-informed federal election platform and as we look to 2026, we have set in motion our policy roadmap, “Building a Healthier Canada, Powered by Nurses.” This comprehensive vision calls on all levels of government to prioritize a national, integrated health workforce strategy, modernize care delivery, improve workplace protections, invest in public health, and unleash the full value of nurses across all care settings. Our policy roadmap is rooted in the Quintuple Aim and affirms that nurses are not only the backbone of the health-care system—but its future.
Throughout this journey, I have been supported by an exceptional team—our dedicated CNA staff, board of directors, volunteers, national partners, and of course, you, our members. Thank you for your continued engagement, your courageous leadership, and your deep commitment to our shared purpose.
This has been a year of building—relationships, systems, momentum, and trust. It has also been a year of listening, learning, and leading. The road ahead is not without challenges. But as I look forward, I do so with confidence—because I know we are walking this path together, grounded in our values and united by a vision of a unified profession and better health for all.
As we enter this next chapter, my commitment to you remains clear: CNA will continue to be your strong, national voice—advocating with purpose, informing with evidence, partnering for impact, and centring the lived and professional experiences of nurses in every conversation that shapes the future of health care in Canada.
Thank you for all you have done—and continue to do—to uplift our profession and improve the lives of people and communities across this country.
Yours in nursing,
Dr. Valerie Grdisa, RN, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Nurses Association