ARNM Continues National Nursing Week Advocacy with Third Legislature Day at the Manitoba Legislative Building

PICTURED LEFT to RIGHT: Committee Member Amy-Caroline McClocklin, ARNM Executive Director Joyce Kristjansson, Carla Compton (MLA for Tuxedo and Premier’s Advisor on Nursing Culture & Safety), Board Member Shellie Anderson, and Board Member Justin Woodcock. Carla Compton is an ARNM member and was present in the Legislative Building during the day.

The Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba (ARNM) continued its National Nursing Week activities with a third Legislature Day, held at the Manitoba Legislative Building on Tuesday, May 13. Members of ARNM’s Board of Directors and Advocacy Committee met with elected officials from across party lines to advance member-informed recommendations focused on strengthening Manitoba’s nursing workforce and health-care system.

Participants included Board Member Justin Woodcock, Committee Member Amy-Caroline McClocklin, Committee Member Naomi Armah, Board Member Shellie Anderson, Committee Member Shirley Forsyth, Committee Member Tracey McCulloch, and ARNM Executive Director Joyce Kristjansson.

Throughout the day, ARNM representatives engaged in discussions with MLAs from all parties, including MLA Jennifer Chen (NDP, Fort Richmond); PC Caucus members, including Leader Obby Khan; Minister Renee Cable, Minister of Advanced Education and Training; MLA Rachelle Schott (NDP, Kildonan-River East) alongside Hon. Uzoma Asagwara, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care; MLA Jelynn Dela Cruz (Radisson); MLA David Pankratz (Waverley), Special Envoy for Military Affairs and Deputy House Leader; and MLA Mark Wasyliw (Independent, Fort Garry).

These conversations focused on three key priorities identified by ARNM members:

Creating a Nursing Student Bursary
ARNM emphasized the need to reduce financial barriers to nursing education. With accelerated programs and intensive clinical placements limiting students’ ability to work while studying, a provincial bursary would help ease financial pressure and support more Manitobans in pursuing nursing careers. This includes addressing costs associated with entering the profession such as licensing exams, registration fees, liability protection, and criminal record checks. Supporting students in this way strengthens the future nursing workforce and helps ensure financial constraints do not become a barrier to entering the profession.

Enabling Nurses to Work to Their Full Scope of Practice
Nurses are highly educated and regulated professionals, yet many continue to face systemic barriers that prevent them from fully utilizing their knowledge and competencies. ARNM called for continued collaboration with government and health system partners to remove unnecessary restrictions and enable nurses to practice to their full scope. Doing so can improve access to primary and preventative care, reduce wait times, and ease system-wide staffing pressures. ARNM also emphasized the importance of meaningful engagement with nurses in health-care planning and policy development.

Increasing Investments in Nursing Education Capacity
Sustaining Manitoba’s nursing workforce requires investment in education and clinical training infrastructure. While recent expansions in nursing seats are welcome, shortages of faculty and limited clinical placement capacity remain significant challenges. ARNM is calling for targeted investment to recruit and retain nursing educators and clinical instructors, strengthen training capacity across the province, and support internationally educated nurses in meeting licensing requirements more efficiently. Strengthening education capacity is essential to building a resilient and sustainable health-care system.

These discussions reflect ARNM’s ongoing commitment to working collaboratively with government and system partners to co-create solutions grounded in the experiences of nurses across Manitoba.

ARNM remains committed to advancing practical, frontline-informed recommendations that strengthen nursing, improve patient care, and support a sustainable health system for all Manitobans.

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Stay tuned to our social media channels throughout National Nursing Week for more updates and celebrations.