Here’s who’s Working for you

When Angela Crawford moved back to Canada from the United Kingdom in 2018, she was concerned that the issues nurses were facing in the UK, such as short staffing, were also becoming a reality here in British Columbia.

Then the pandemic hit, and Crawford felt it was time to advocate for nurses as a worksite steward on Vancouver’s North Shore. She later became an interim regional council member for BCNU’s Coastal Mountain region in 2022 and was elected as the regional council member in 2023. 

“I’ve always been a strong advocate for nursing, patient care and equality. In 2020, it was time to stand up and do union work formally,” she says. 
Growing up in the UK, Crawford initially became interested in nursing due to the pay and housing accommodations available to nurses at the time. She left high school at age 16 and became a nurse at 17.

“I always say I didn’t find nursing, nursing found me,” she says. “Once I started the profession, nursing became my passion.”

Crawford describes her work history as “expansive, varied and wonderful.” She worked as a nurse in Scotland before moving to Canada in 2005. She has worked in long-term care, in an acute medical unit, in a pediatric ICU, and in home care and palliative care. She also worked as a nurse in the cruise ship industry for 10 years.

“We want nurses to have a safe workload so they can provide the care patients need, have a safe work environment and actually enjoy the job they do,” 

- BCNU Coastal Mountain regional council member Angela Crawford.

“I love empowering people to care for themselves. I love speaking to people and hearing their stories. I just enjoy being a nurse,” Crawford says. “I particularly value working with marginalized people and those who don’t have as much as others,” she says.

Crawford strongly supports publicly funded health care and says that home and palliative care are her passions.

“I’ve seen a lot of loss in my life,” she explains. “After somebody is diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, when you can care for them at home, you can support them in their journey, assessing and addressing symptoms and providing psychological support to them and their family.”

As the regional council member for BCNU’s Coastal Mountain region, Crawford sits on the Joint Regional Implementation Committee for Vancouver Coastal Health, supporting the implementation of minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. She also sits on the Member Engagement Steward Recruitment and Retention Committee and the Canadian Federation of Nurses Union’s advisory committee for internationally educated nurses.

She enjoys attending conventions, regional events and rallies where she gets to hear different nurses’ perspectives.

“I love hearing nurses’ stories, and I like to problem solve. Nurses are amazing and resilient. I like to hear about the ways we can support them and empower them to know their rights,” says Crawford.

She applauds the union’s legacy work to implement minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, and hopes ratios help make nursing a career that more people want to pursue.

“I’ve had a wonderful nursing career, and I’m heartbroken to see the way nursing is now,” says Crawford.

“We want nurses to have a safe workload so they can provide the care patients need, have a safe work environment and actually enjoy the job they do.”

UPDATE (Summer 2025)