THE C V AA

Newsletter of the Canadian Vascular Access Association President’s Message

“You can’t pour from an empty cup.”

These past few years have taken a toll on many healthcare providers’ physical and emotional well-being. Many have resigned from their fields. Larger workloads, continued staffing shortages, wage suppression legislations, disruptions to organizational processes, and tense interactions between colleagues, patients, and families. To say that we are experiencing unprecedented challenges in our healthcare system is an understatement to say the least. These increased pressures have led to many healthcare providers feeling depersonalized from their work and families. Frankly, we are emotionally exhausted.

A New Normal is a term that I’m hearing a lot more of these days, as many have shifted their attention to healing after experiencing organizational trauma. Part of this includes purposeful efforts to retain our exhausted workforce while

SPRiNg 2023

simultaneously mentoring our junior staff; something that all organizations should be prioritizing to ensure a knowledgeable workforce into the future. We need to normalize the creation of psychologically safe environments and focus on relationship building again. Only then will it allow us to inspire and mentor the next generation of vascular access champions to advocate for continued best practices and clinical outcomes. As we start to see workplaces and businesses return to usual operations, I’m reminded of how far we’ve come.

This year not only marks our first in-person conference since the COVID pandemic, but also our first time partnering with WoCoVA to host the World Congress on Vascular Access. With so many international delegates this year, it is an excellent opportunity to share Canadian perspectives and to help advance the scholarship of vascular access. It is certainly an honour for CVAA to be recognized as the international expert vascular access association that we are on this world stage. My hope is that this, along with other CVAA webinars and learning events that will happen throughout the year, will help to refill your cup and to keep you feeling fulfilled in your practice as we continue to work together in advancing this specialty.

Janny

Janny Proba, RN, BScN, MEd, EdD(c), CON(C), CHPCN(C), CVAA(c)

CVAA President