During Nursing Week, we celebrate the dedication, expertise, and achievements of registered nurses (RNs), registered practical nurses (RPNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs.) This year, Nursing Week is May 12-18.
Our 2025 Nursing Week theme is Raising our voices. Speaking the truth. Faire entendre nos voix. Dire la vérité.
Check back soon for more information and resources!
Indigenous Nurses Day
During Nursing Week we celebrate Indigenous Nurses Day. Indigenous Nurses Day highlights the achievements of Canada’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis nurses and recognizes their invaluable work improving the health and well-being of Canadians.
Edith Anderson Monture was the first Indigenous registered nurse in Canada. Born in 1890 in Six Nations of the Grand River, the Mohawk woman struggled to be accepted to a Canadian nursing school as First Nations faced involuntary enfranchisement (loss of Indian status) for pursuing higher education. Instead, she studied in New York, where she completed her degree in 1914. She worked as a public health nurse and volunteered for duty as a nursing sister in World War I, eventually returning to Six Nations where she continued to work as a nurse and midwife until the 1960s. Monture is considered a pioneer in Indigenous healthcare in Canada.
Supporting access to high-quality health care for all means supporting and recognizing the unique experiences of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis nurses in our union. ONA strives to create space and support for our Indigenous members through the Members of Indigenous Descent Caucus Group, which meets at our Human Rights and Equity Caucus each year.