In 1920, a public health nurse by the name of Ms. E. Kathleen Russell had a radical idea, to establish a Department of Public Health Nursing at the University of Toronto. In 1933 Ms. Russell determined and unrelenting, went even further in her goal of bolstering nursing education, and created Canada’s first university-based nursing program here at U of T.
This was a turning point in the evolution of the nursing profession and in nursing education, occurring during a critical period in history following the Influenza pandemic of 1919 and in between two World Wars. It changed the way people thought of nurses, and the profession, and it opened the doors to opportunities in health leadership that had previously been withheld from nurses.
Now more than a century later, and in the wake of yet another health crisis and global pandemic, the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing is unveiling a new brand identity, This is Nursing in Action, which speaks to the transformation of the nursing profession and the future trajectory of U of T Nursing graduates.
This is Nursing in Action, is a narrative that was borne out of a series of discovery sessions with Bloomberg Nursing stakeholders to challenge the images of nurses, as heroes, angels, or soldiers that became prominent during the pandemic. They wanted society to know that there was far more to being a nurse than traditional bedside care.
Watch This is Nursing in Action
“Nursing is a verb. It is not a passive profession, it is always active, always looking to progress,” says Linda Johnston, Dean of the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing. “This is Nursing in Action, speaks to the dynamic role of nurses in the health care system, and within our academic institution, which includes our innovative research, our progressive and inclusive clinical practice, and our leadership in striving for health equity around the world.”
From public health and community care, research and policy change, executive health leadership and government relations, there are a multitude of touch points in which nurses lead within the realm of health care. Bloomberg Nursing’s brand is centered around the depiction of nursing students, researchers and alumni as pillars and connectors within the healthcare system, illustrated by the new “N” graphic and its presence throughout the new identity. Together the Bloomberg Nursing community is helping to reshape how care is delivered in a post-pandemic world.
For nursing students, including Richard Tang, who is just about to complete his Master of Nursing – Nurse Practitioner degree, Nursing in Action encompasses the attributes of where nurses care for the community.
“Working in a hospital unit, working in the community, working with underserved populations and providing inclusive care and trauma informed care to improve health outcomes, is a significant part of the narrative of Nursing in Action,” says Tang.
Samantha Mayo, an associate professor at Bloomberg Nursing whose research program is focused on hematological cancer survivorship says Nursing in Action signifies the ways in which nurses are using research to discover new ways to support patients and their families as well as communities.
“Nurses are also researchers, and we are well-positioned to find new ways of providing care that alter not only the quality of life of patients but also improve the health system for everyone,” says Mayo.
Master of Nursing alumna Farah Khan, who is currently the Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services at Trillium Health Partners, sees the new brand as an opportunity to demonstrate the unique role of nurses in the health system and their impact.
“Nursing in Action means making a difference. Nurses are making an impact at the point of care and in the management of patient care daily and deserve to see their contributions as engaged and active leaders recognized,” says Khan.
Explore the new website and learn more about This is Nursing in Action. https://Bloomberg.nursing.utoronto.ca