East Kootenay Regional Executive – 2023 Election Results

I joined BCNU in 2005. My first job was on a general medical floor at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster. It was a fairly acute unit with peritoneal dialysis, complex vac dressings, tracheostomies, and complex diabetics requiring hourly interventions. 

Within 2 months I found myself and two other coworkers who started at the same time as me working together. It was a night shift and we were a short with just the three of us working and overflowing at 30 patients. It was one of the scariest shifts of my career! Not because anything happened, but the fear that something might have happened and it could have ended my career. We didn’t take breaks, we were exhausted, and no one came to help. We didn’t know or have the experience to advocate for the safety of our patients or our licenses. It was that night where I realized the lack of employer resources to foster leadership and growth. 

I thought this was nursing. There wasn’t a union presence where I worked, so I didn’t know that there were avenues that we could have taken to prevent the same from happening to other new graduates. I wasn’t aware of the collective agreement. I didn’t know we could have submitted a grievance since we worked short the entire shift. I was not aware of a professional responsibility form and how this would provide me an avenue to start conversation with my manager to try and prevent this from happening again.

Fast-forward 18 years. I now work as a PCC in the ICU at EKRH and I have been the current East Kootenay Communication Secretary for the last 2.5 years. Five years ago I started to learn more about BCNU as a way to advocate and support nurses. I attended the BUS course then I started attending regional meetings and conventions. I learned about BCNU policies and bylaws, becoming familiar with the collective agreement. I started to realize I have knowledge to advocate for nurses to see positive changes in their work environment 

I am passionate about retaining and supporting nurses. We do not have enough nurses and our senior members are retiring at a rate that is exceeding new membership. We are a precious resource and I am devoted to protecting and supporting nurses. If I am selected for communications secretary I will expand on my contact language and learn how BCNU works to advocate, support, and empower nurses. I will encourage fellow nurses to speak up and advocate for safe staffing and patient care. 

East Kootenay Lobby Coordinator. Like all Regional Executive positions, it's a chance to make a difference. But LC has its impacts in a different way.

Over the past 6-7 years, I have spoken with numerous political figures from municipal to provincial to federal. From governing parties to opposition parties. All in the hopes of having things change for healthcare in the positive. 

I have been meeting frequently with elected officials and our E. Kootenay post secondary institutions to work and find a "made in the Kootenays" solution to the nursing shortage. Even if I'm not in the LC position for E. Kootenay, I want to continue this work.

The ratification of our collective agreement gives me hope, but there is still a long way to go to fix the cracks in our healthcare system. If LC, I plan to use this position to help hold the powers that be accountable and ensure B.C. nurses can focus on that... being a nurse.

My name is Diane Burnett and I am the current Mental Health Representative for the East Kootenay Region and I am hoping to continue in this roll. I am a Mom of four amazing kids, I have an awesome husband/partner, and I have a wonderful menagerie of pets including 3 young and goofy dogs and 8 quirky cats. (Time with my dogs is one of my favorite ways to destress.) I love being a nurse. I have been a Registered Nurse for 18 years and have enjoyed positions in big hospitals like St. Paul’s in Vancouver and smaller, more rural centers like Prince Rupert, and my current location Creston. I have worked in a variety of areas including acute, emergency, community, and presently I have a position in Primary Care. Like many small-town nurses, I still pick up extra shifts in many of those areas. My increased involvement with the BCNU started last year in several ways. I first became a local Steward and joined our JOHS committee. Shortly after, I joined the regional executive team and have found them to be a very impressive collection of nurses who work very hard for our region. The learning curve has been steep, but I have been enjoying these new roles immensely. I have been working hard at completing all the required and recommended education for these positions. The pandemic, and the current nursing shortage has been creating extremely stressful, and challenging situations for nurses. It was these circumstances and seeing my coworkers struggling that prompted me to become involved and put myself in a position where I could not only help patients in our community, but also the nurses who are working so hard in such a strained healthcare system. The mental health of nurses has been suffering. It is my hope that as the East Kootenay Regional Mental Health Representative, I will be able to make a difference by highlighting the issues to reduce barriers and stigma, and by advocating for support. I have been collaborating with and have been mentored by our exceptional Regional OHS Representative to share resources to our region and I hope to continue with this work. I have been working towards a goal of familiarizing myself with the numerous mental health resources, courses, and supports that BCNU, Interior Health, the province, and private organizations have to offer so that I am in a good position to share this information with first-hand knowledge and experience with members in the region. I have found this process beneficial not only in my role as Mental Health Representative but also for me professionally and personally. At this time, I feel like I am just getting started and I am excited about projects and ideas we are working on. I hope to be able to continue my involvement, continue my learning, and continue to try and improve the conditions for our East Kootenay nurses. Nurses have such strength and it is my objective to ensure that when that strength is tested, that we are ready with all the tools necessary to keep our body and minds healthy and able to keep caring for our patients, our families, and ourselves. I am very grateful to have this opportunity. Thank you for your consideration. 

As a BC Nurses Union advocate and registered nurse, I am seeking re-election to the role of East Kootenay Regional Occupational Health and Safety Representative. 

I have been a registered nurse since 2009 and engaged as a BCNU worksite steward within the Golden & District Hospital since 2017. I held the role of EK Regional Mental Health Advocate from January 2020 - August 2020 at which time I took on the role of EK Regional Occupational Health and Safety Representative from September 2020 - present. It has been an honour to serve as a BC Nurses Union advocate through the highs and lows of our profession over the previous 6 years. I continue to work as a rural acute nurse and maintain an intimate knowledge of the struggles and demands placed on the nursing workforce through isolation, shift work, restricted resources and violence in the workplace. Through my career, I have gained experience within acute, emergency, maternity, public health, quality improvement, long term and community care and consider it both a great privilege and challenge to continue to provide such a vast scope of care in rural nursing. 

Through the past three years, I have gained a strong working knowledge of entities effecting nurses safety in the workplace including WorkSafeBC regulation, the National Standard of Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, BCNU constitution and bylaws along with BCNU policies and procedures. I have developed and maintained effective working relationships with WorkSafeBC local prevention officers, Interior Health - Health and Safety staff, the BCNU Health and Safety team and the East Kootenay Regional Executive leadership. 

As the Regional OH&S Rep, I advocate for and work towards continual workplace safety improvement through comprehensive involvement in regional activities, mentorship and liaising with worksite BCNU JOHSC reps, consulting with IH management teams and active participation in the Regional Violence Prevention Committee. I have demonstrated an excellent understanding of personal strengths and limitations within the OH&S role including strong self-management skills and the ability to identify personal values, principles and biases, continually working toward self-development and learning in the areas of occupational health, psychological health and diversity, equity and inclusion. 

I continue to maintain an in-depth understanding of the NBA Collective Agreement as it relates to occupational health and employer practices and polices within our ever-changing environments. During my time as the EK Regional OH&S Rep, I have been a key participant in the development of a strong regional BCNU support network enabling early detection, identification and collaboration on upcoming occupational health hazards. I continue to be inspired through successful advocacy initiatives I have participated in identifying and collaborating on the needs of our nurses and representatives for OH&S resources, educational and worksite needs. 

It has been a privilege to advocate for health and safety within our union and workplaces, I will continue to press forward applying pressure on both the Union and the Employer for ongoing safety improvements specific to rural nursing. 

I am a Registered Nurse for over 17 years, with 15 of them in the Interior Health Authority. I have worked in a multitude of areas including Tertiary Mental Health, Intensive Care Unit, Shift Coordinator, HART and presently in the Cranbrook UPCC as Team Lead. I have been a steward for 2 years and have enjoyed learning all about the BCNU, the EK Region and connecting with members from all areas. I long to learn more about the union and how to best assist all members

I plan on being a good advocate for the EK region with the Professional Practive Office at IHA
I plan to connect and educate all members of the EK Region on the PR process and options
I plan on becoming an active sterward in the EK Region
I plan on being accessible to all members who are interested in the PR process

Hello, I am Denise Waurynchuk, and I am running for re-election as your East Kootenay Regional Council Member. In 2009 when I completed nursing school, I moved with my family back to Cranbrook and started work at East Kootenay Regional Hospital (EKRH). I have worked in various roles at EKRH and Cranbrook Home and Community. 

When I became a BCNU steward in 2013, it was to fulfill my goal of creating positive change for nurses. From 2016 through 2020, I was a member of the BCNU East Kootenay (EK) Executive team as the Professional Responsibility (PR) Advocate and Steward Liaison. I was provided with an opportunity to become the EK Steward at Large for a 3-month term. During that time, I was able to see many positive outcomes and developed strong relationships with nurses across the region. I worked tirelessly to pursue meetings, towards my goal of alleviating our members stresses and improving their working conditions.

As a Regional Council Member I have focused the past three years advocating for nurses across the East Kootenays and bringing your voices to the BCNU Provincial table. This has allowed me to make sound governance decisions at Council meetings. I am an active council member and am on several important BCNU Committees, such as the Human Resource Committee, Bursary Committee, and Retiree Benefit Fund.

During COVID restrictions we, as the Regional Executive team, needed to find creative ways to meeting with members. As a region we implemented virtual mini regionals which allowed members from across the region to connect and have their questions answered. The EK region also hosted Regional Dinner Meetings in each community. This provided opportunities for more members to meet with their East Kootenay Regional Executive team and ask questions.

As your current Regional Council Member, I know that our small sites face increasing challenges related to higher acuity with decreased supports. Our Long-Term Care and Home and Community nurses face increasing workloads with inadequate staff. I have advocated for our nurses in the East Kootenays and I look forward to continue to focus on our rural issues. 

As your Regional Council Member, I will continue to:
• expose the unique issues that East Kootenay Region nurses at all tables 
• strive for positive changes for all nurses in the EK region
• build on the relationships I have developed with our local MLA’s
• provide leadership to members in the region while developing a strong Executive Team and Steward Team
• continue to have transparent communication with our East Kootenay nurses

I look forward to being your Regional Council Member for a second term and I appreciate your support.

My name is Gina Neumann, and I have been a BCNU activist since my student days! I have been a steward and have served on the East Kootenay Executive Team for six years. I have been the EK Treasurer for the past 3 years, and I am committed to being fiscally responsible. I was the treasurer for my local JCI club before my time at BCNU. Additionally, I am completing my Master's in Nursing and have taken extra courses in Microsoft Excel. I am naturally tech-savvy and have formatted and uploaded most documents in the shared Treasurer Box file. I am highly organized and motivated, and I promptly address issues. I am not afraid of asking difficult questions, and we owe it to our membership to be transparent and responsible. I am diligent about members' dues and how they are spent. I uphold BCNU's value of equality by ensuring that each member has access to all services of the BCNU, which can only occur if were are fiscally responsible. I am also a member of the BCNU Finance Committee as the out-of-town treasurer and have a role to ensure that BCNU is managing member's dues appropriately. 

Thank you very much for your consideration and I look forward to working with the EK nurses. :) 

I am running for regional steward liaison. I was appointed to the role late last year. I have recently attended a steward liaison meeting and feel that I gotten a better idea on what the role entails. I am hoping to continue in this role and be a support for stewards and well as encourage and support new stewards. 

I have been nursing since may 1998. I have worked my entire career in the Creston Valley hospital. I started in the er, did med/surg nursing and have spent the last 15 years in the OR. I have been with BCNU since 2000. I started as a steward in our facility as we had none to represent us at the time. I moved into a regional treasurer role and learned a lot about the union during this role. I took a step back as my life was busy. I have three daughters, and we had recently taken over a tree and cattle farm. So life is still busy but I feel like now is an important time to support our colleagues. 

I feel like as nurses we need to give some of our support back to the community. Last Christmas we as a group decided to help with our local toy drive for the Christmas hampers. This year we will be taking over this toy drive. I feel like just getting the nurses in our community together to work on such a positive cause, helped strengthen us as a group. We are all excited to grow this. 

I am hoping to continue with more positive ideas in the East Kooteneys and build the teams! We have such a strong supportive group right now! 

Thanks Dawn