Message from the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health

National Nursing Week

May 7-13, 2012

Every year, National Nursing Week honours Canada's nurses for the vital contributions they make to the health of Canadians. This year's theme, Nursing-The Health of Our Nation, highlights how important nurses are to our health care system, and to keeping Canadians healthy.

Nurses are often our first point of contact, whenever or wherever we need health care, whether it's at a clinic, at work, at school, in a nursing home, or at a hospital, or receiving advice online. Through their dedication, they ensure Canadians of all ages, at every stage of life, receive the best care possible.

They are the country's largest group of health professionals and, in rural and remote First Nations and Inuit communities, they are, often the only frontline provider of health care. Many also have special expertise and knowledge in providing care under challenging circumstances, and should be commended for the professional, high-quality health care they provide in these communities.

Our Government recognizes the essential role nurses play in our health system, and we invest in activities designed to foster strategic and evidence-based decision-making that will lead to quality health care as well as a stable and optimal health workforce.

We want to express our appreciation for the dedication of nurses as professionals, and advocates of health promotion and education. Improving health care requires partnerships, and the Government of Canada is committed to strengthening Canada's health system by working with professional health care workers.

I invite all Canadians to join me in celebrating the nursing profession and to thank them for their commitment to making Canada among the countries with the healthiest people in the world.

Leona Aglukkaq
Minister of Health
Government of Canada