Contributors: Cameron R. Albright,
Lisa Bland, Lisa Goldberg

In our recently published commentary in the Halifax Examiner, “an independent, investigative, and adversarial news site” in Atlantic Canada, we three Canadian nurses address the disruptive and ethically reprehensible policies emerging from the United States (US).. By drawing attention to the Canadian Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses (referred to as “The Code”), we stand in firm solidarity with our American friends, families, and colleagues. Moreover, we stand in firm solidarity with American nurses.

As the largest discipline in healthcare, nursing is needed as a response to these turbulent political times: US government programs are being systematically dismantled, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies are being eviscerated, and revisionist history has become the new ‘normal’. A striking example was the temporary removal of Harriet Tubman’s prominent photo and personal narrative by the U.S. National Park Service. Although restored a few months later, it begs the question: What is happening to democracy with a government now emboldened to rewrite history?

Our commentary on April 14^th is a “call to arms” for nurses; it is a challenge to reflect on what matters by taking inspiration from such trailblazers as Harriet Tubman, a nurse who escaped slavery to become the most “famous conductor” of the underground railroad; she rescued countless numbers of enslaved people, risking it all for justice and freedom: values that are deeply embedded in nursing and nursing knowledge. For nurses, the notion of justice is not only a value and ethical responsibility in The Code; it is also a form of critical emancipatory and sociopolitical knowing (Chinn, 2017). Both forms of knowing are essential in understanding the current political climate, particularly given the latest power mongering and hate speech that continue to place systemic and structural barriers within the systems nurses find themselves working every day. As Harvard University’s latest response to the Trump administration shows courage and strength under fire, outright refusing to “surrender their independence” or academic freedom we call upon ALL nurses to do the same: stand up for justice and freedom, be courageous, and never forget the knowledge we garner as nurses is grounded in political advocacy, and is even more effective when we activate it together!

Source

Chinn, P. (2017). Critical Theory and Emancipatory Knowing in Butts, J. & Rich, K., Philosophies and theories for advanced nursing practice (3rd. ed., pp. 143-162).  Jones & Bartlett Learning.

About the Contributors

Cameron R. Albright, RN, MN, PhD Student, CMSN(C), (he/him), School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS. I am a registered nurse with seven years of clinical experience. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Dalhousie University in 2018 and completed my Master of Nursing at Athabasca University in 2024. I’m now pursuing doctoral studies at Dalhousie, where I have the honour of being supervised by Lisa Goldberg—a mentor whose guidance continues to shape my thinking in expansive ways. From the beginning, I’ve lived nursing not only as a clinical profession, but as an ethical, existential, and human practice. My graduate work has extended from my experience as a clinician during the COVID-19 pandemic—long, uncertain days on the frontlines that demanded not just skill, but moral clarity and presence. That experience continues to inform my interests at the intersection of care, philosophy, and lived experience. I’m especially passionate about how we remain grounded, compassionate, and connected in systems that so often try and pull us in the opposite direction. I find joy in simple life pleasures—reading books, drinking tea, baking bread, and playing with my cats!

Lisa Bland BScN, RN, MScN Student, (she/her/hers), Tutorial Lead & Clinical Instructor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, I am a Registered Nurse, community leader, and volunteer with more than 15 years of nursing practice. I am a baccalaureate prepared Registered Nurse (Dal BScN ‘08) and Master of Science nursing student (fall 2025). With nursing expertise in perinatal health, gynaecology, public health, and care of elders, my nursing care has remained focused throughout all with Caring Science Theory as an embodied daily practice. My research interest is in reproductive justice & women’s health complications for people of African descent: specifically menstrual health for teens and young adults of African descent, and uterine fibroids. In addition to research interests which empower and support women, I am an avid community leader and volunteer with Girl Guides of Canada, the Council for African Canadian Education, and various community events. I am a recipient of the 2023 West Hants Regional Municipality Volunteer Service Award, and a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal (2025). When I am enjoying downtime with my family, it’s on my farm with goats, chickens, and dogs!

Lisa Goldberg, RN, PhD, Caritas Coach, (she/her/hers)
Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS. I’m Lisa Goldberg (she/her/hers), a nurse educator, scholar, and Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at Dalhousie University. My work centers on caring science, 2SLGBTQ+ health, and equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA). I bring a deeply personal and interdisciplinary lens to my teaching and research, shaped by my background in dance, philosophy, and international education, as well as my lived experience navigating the academy as a 2SLGBTQ+ person living with (dis)Abilities—while also recognizing the privilege I hold as a white woman. I’m passionate about student-centered learning, nurse advocacy, and challenging systemic inequities in health and education. Since 2004, I’ve led an award-winning qualitative research program, collaborated with national and international scholars (including Dr. Jean Watson), and mentored graduate students through innovative, socially conscious scholarship. Beyond the university, I’m a lover of tea, Harry Potter, and whimsical frocks, and I share life with my sweet rescue kitty, Miss Tulip. Read more here.