Statement from the Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba (ARNM) on the Manitoba Government’s Lower Wait Time and System Improvement Strategy

The Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba (ARNM) supports the release of the Manitoba government's Lower Wait Time and System Improvement Strategy, and we are especially pleased to see that nurses have been included as key members of the leadership team guiding this important work.

ARNM commends the government for recognizing the value of nursing leadership by including two highly experienced nurses - Karen Samson and Erin Little - on the Lower Wait Time and System Improvement Team. Karen brings 37 years of experience in emergency and intensive care settings across Northern Ontario and Manitoba, and has served in multiple senior leadership roles, including Director of Health Services for the Emergency Department at St. Boniface Hospital. Erin is a practicing emergency nurse at Health Sciences Centre, where she focuses on triage and has contributed to bed utilization planning.

ARNM has long advocated for the inclusion of nurses at all levels of the health-care decision-making process, and we are encouraged to see this principle reflected in the formation of the Lower Wait Times strategy team. The inclusion of front-line expertise is essential to designing practical, effective solutions that address system-wide challenges.

We know that improving emergency room wait times requires a holistic approach - one that examines and addresses pressures across the entire health-care system, not just within the ER. ARNM looks forward to ongoing collaboration and continued leadership from nurses as this strategy is implemented.