May 4, 2014

Montréal, May 5, 2014 – The Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec – FIQ is taking advantage of Health Month to celebrate the value of the licensed practical nurses, nurses, respiratory therapists and perfusionists and recall how much each one of them count for the community.

“Every healthcare professional contributes through her qualities and her skills to make the group stronger. And despite all the cuts and the poor management that we are aware of in our network, the healthcare professionals manage, sometimes to the detriment of their own health, and thanks to countless efforts, to deliver safe, quality care to the people of Québec. There is a reason why the healthcare professionals enjoy such love from the public. They work hard, often outdoing themselves and make a difference in everyday life”, Régine Laurent, President of the Federation proudly stated.

The healthcare professionals like to give care, they work in collaboration with, among others, physicians, physiotherapists, nutritionists, occupational therapists, and psychologists in order to respond to all the daily needs of the population. By the very fact of their activities, the healthcare professionals bring comfort and create ties between people. This dimension makes perfect sense at a time when solitude is the lot of many people, notably senior citizens. Moreover, the rhetoric on health care is mainly focused on performance and the durability of the public healthcare system is constantly called into question. “Despite the difficulties in the system and demanding working conditions, the healthcare professionals are a trace of humanity in a system that tends to constantly dehumanize. Together they exert strength to combat an endemic commercialization, as health does not have a price and even less so the quality of the caregiver-patient relationship. They fight to ensure quality care and to respect the dignity of the patients”, stated Ms Laurent.

This year, the Federation, which believes in the extraordinary potential of the healthcare professionals, wanted to pay tribute to them by telling them how “super” they are. “There are days when it can be said that the healthcare professionals are like super heroes. During the month of May, we are saluting their courage and their wonderful commitment to the patients. Make no mistake, even if they face challenges every day, this does not mean that they accept everything. However, we believe that displaying our pride and our desire to foster the evolution of society with a smile, that is strength”, added Ms Laurent.

The Federation is marking Licensed Practical Nurses Day on May 5, Nurses Day on May 12, Respiratory Therapists Day on May 19 and Perfusionists Day on May 26. This year, the theme retained to celebrate Health Month is “You’re super!”

Visit the Health Month website at www.mois-sante.info.

About the FIQ

The Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec – FIQ represents more than 62,000 members, the vast majority of the nursing and cardio-respiratory healthcare professionals working in the Québec public institutions.