News

Melanie Basso, MSN, RN, President

 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Greetings and Happy New Year to all CAPWHN members,

It is my pleasure and honour to greet you as CAPWHN’s second President.  It is my goal to continue to follow the tremendous leadership example set by Luisa Ciofani, who is now acting as Past-President.  I welcome Nancy Watts to the President-Elect role.  

I am excited to work closely with your exceptional Board of Directors:

President: Melanie Basso

President Elect: Nancy Watts

Past President: Luisa Ciofani

Treasurer: Cathy Sheffer

Director at Large: Lisa Keenan-Lindsay

Director at Large: Kim Dart

Director (Atlantic Provinces, Nunavut): Judy Moore (and 2012 Conference co-chair)

Director (Quebec): Angèle Robillard

Director (Ontario): Marie-Josée Trépanier

Director (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories): Susan Harrison

Director (Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon): Diane Betman

Executive Director: Rita Assabgui

This is a very exciting time for CAPWHN as we begin our second year of existence.  With the turn of the new year, we are reminded of our chance to “start anew”.  Many of you are hard at work setting goals and making resolutions to become fit, maintain a healthy weight, or make more efforts to stay in touch with family and friends.  As members of the CAPWHN Board of Directors, we too are hard at work to continue to focus our attention to achieve the priorities and goals outlined in the strategic plan.  In keeping with the season, we have a sense of “revitalization” through CAPWHN’s vision of advancing nursing practice and the health of women, newborns and families.  Our vision is captured in the statement “Leading Excellence in Perinatal and Women’s Health Nursing”.

But we cannot do this alone.  We need your help to build a strong and vibrant organization.  The impact potential and synergy that exists when we put our collective energies forward and work together will help make CAPWHN’s vision a reality.   

We have five primary goal statements.  I challenge each of you to find a way to contribute to the achievement of CAPWHN’s goals. 

• To attract a wide diversity of members committed to sharing the CAPHWN vision.

·         As members of CAPWHN, we have the opportunity to reach out to others and introduce them to the organization and the benefits of membership.  Each of you can contribute to this goal by renewing your own membership.  In addition, if each of you encourages one person within your unit or institution to join CAPWHN, we will achieve this goal in spades!

• To develop strategic alliances and engage in activities to increase visibility and to build credibility.
  • CAPWHN is committed to becoming more involved in service activities that address the health needs of our patient populations through our involvement in strategic alliances.  We need to hear from you about which key groups you feel we need to become more involved with.  The On-line forums are quickly becoming a tremendous source for sharing expertise and resources among members.  Ask a question and you will get a flood of responses. 

• To provide members with timely, relevant products and services to support knowledge acquisition for those working in perinatal and women’s health.
  • CAPWHN is calling upon the expertise of our membership to provide regular webinars on subjects of interest to the members to bridge the gap in knowledge translation.  If you would like to present a webinar or suggest a topic, please contact us.

• To promote evidence-based practices through nurse’s participation in the development of standards, policies, guidelines, and research related to perinatal and women’s health care.
  • We are currently in the process of establishing our working committees that will engage our members in the development of standards, as well as policies, guidelines and help link key researchers across the country.  I look forward to sharing more about this goal as we move forward.

• To pursue the vision and mission of the Association in innovative, effective and financially responsible ways. 
  • The Board of Directors, in concert with the Executive Director, is continuously reviewing innovative and effective ways to conduct the business of the Association in a fiscally responsible manner.  Technology plays a key role in the achievement of this goal.  If you know of a new and innovative technology that can assist us to do our work more effectively, we want to hear from you. 

As your President, I am excited to work with you, the members, and the Board of Directors to make CAPWHN an organization that every perinatal and women’s health nurse in the country wants to join.  Remember - there is power in numbers.  Let’s create a powerful and collaborative network of nurses in Canada.

Je suis fière de prendre la relève et d’assumer le rôle comme Présidente de CAPWHN.  Nous avons pris des petits pas pour assurer une présence francophone et pour créer une association qui pourra répondre aux besoins des infirmières qui parlent ou œuvrent en français. On espère que CAPWHN sera pour vous une communauté d’infirmières qui  permettra l’échange de ressources mais surtout un environnement qui favorisera votre engagement dans votre profession.  Soyer à l’écoute – Nous avons besoin de votre implication pour réaliser nos buts et on viendra vous solliciter pour participer mais surtout pour nous aider de réaliser le rêve de bâtir une association bilingue et une communauté de partage pour arriver à  notre vision   « À la poursuite de l’excellence en soins infirmiers en périnatalité et en santé des femmes ».  Ensemble nous y arriverons! 

Sincerely,

Melanie Basso

CAPWHN President