Call for Vice President Nominations

The successful candidate will serve as a board director and vice president for a two-year term. The vice president:

• Is a voting member of the board
• May be asked to chair meetings in the absence of the president and/or president-elect
• May be asked to serve as a spokesperson on behalf of the organization as delegated by the president and/or CEO
• With the president and president-elect, shall have the power to direct and oversee the affairs of CNA between meetings of the board
• Is the chair of the nominating committee and sets the agenda for the meetings
• Is the chair of the Canadian Academy of Nursing awards committee and sets the agenda for the meetings
• Is a member of the finance and audit committee
• Is a member of the governance and policy committee
• Is a member of the CEO performance review committee

Terms of office

The vice president will serve for a term of two years and is eligible to run for a subsequent re-election.

As a member of the CNA board of directors, the vice president must meet the eligibility criteria for all directors.

Additional eligibility criteria apply for the role of vice president. The nominee for vice president must:

• Be a nurse within the meaning of CNA’s by-laws and in good standing with their provincial or territorial regulatory body
• Have demonstrated leadership ability
• Consent to the nomination and be prepared to show their leadership ability in a statement, which is published in the “slate of nominations”

For a vice president to fulfil their roles, they must meet the following five overarching competencies:

• Accountability (active participant in decision-making, reflective and willing to learn, has an organizational commitment)
  Assumes the responsibility to govern CNA through a commitment that all actions, decisions, and policies are made in the interest of the public, all regulated nurses, CNA members and the nursing profession. Reflects on and actively seeks the necessary knowledge for a solid understanding of governance and the role of the board and CNA. Actively participates in board activities by preparing for and contributing during meetings, articulating ideas, being willing to engage, and debating in a constructive manner.
• Analytical thinking (ability to hold a systems perspective, be a strategic thinker)
  Willing and able to address issues from a broad systems perspective while understanding the interaction between the parts and the whole. This includes being able to ask questions to determine the root cause of an issue, logically analyzing the information required to determine potential solutions, exploring, and considering differences of opinion, making sound strategic decisions based on the best evidence to determine the strategic direction, and positively governing CNA within its mandate.
• Leadership (relationship building, teamwork, servant leadership)
  Able to build relationships within the board, CNA members, partners across the country, and CNA employees. Promotes teamwork and actively contributes to board decision-making. Is open, respects diverse opinions and constructive disagreement, and actively participates in group discussions to determine unity of purpose, dismantles obstacles to board effectiveness, and coaches and develops new board members. Understands the board’s authority is as a group and once a board decision is made is willing to honour it, even if they did not vote for it.
• Community orientation (public)
  Willing and able to connect with CNA members to understand the range and intensity of their perspectives and make decisions on their behalf. Becomes familiar with the expectations, priorities and values of CNA and CNA members. Seeks to become more knowledgeable about key issues affecting CNA through input from the members to make the best possible decisions and set CNA’s strategic direction on the members’ behalf.
• Visionary and future orientation (outward focus)
  Demonstrates the capability and inclination to work on future-focused issues by understanding the forces that are shaping health and health care. Proactively assists in shaping the vision, future direction, and positioning of CNA for long-term success, including setting the strategic direction and the development and monitoring of policies.

For electronic meetings of members, meet-the-candidates sessions will be set up prior to the meeting to provide an opportunity for them to share their qualifications for the position and answer questions the members may have. These sessions will be recorded and posted on CNA’s website so that all CNA members have an opportunity to watch them.

Candidates must be available for our meet-the-candidates sessions scheduled for April 9 and 11, 2024.

Guidelines for the meet-the-candidates sessions

• Each candidate will be required to attend two virtual meet-the-candidates sessions. One of the CNA officers will preside over the session, which is held ahead of the election. The speaking order of the candidates will be determined by a draw.
• Each candidate will have 10 minutes to speak to the members.
• After all the candidates have spoken, the presiding officer will call for questions.
• The question period will include time for three brief questions.
• No one individual in the audience may ask more than one question during the session.
• Each candidate will have a maximum of two minutes to reply to a question.
• The order of response to questions shall alternate from candidate to candidate, so that no candidate is always the first to answer.
• After candidates have answered the first question posed, the presiding officer will call for the second question in accordance with the above sequence. The third question will be posed and answered in the same sequence.
• Candidates will have the opportunity to answer any additional questions past the allotted meeting time in the online community of leadership practice.
• The presiding officer may extend the time limit for more questions if the allotted time for the meeting allows for it.

The presiding officer has authority to:

• Ensure the order of members’ questions
• Ensure the above guidelines are met
• Monitor the response time of candidates to ensure they do not exceed the time allowances
• Rule on which part of a two-part question will be entertained