An exciting future for our Union

Published: 4 October 2010

This is one of the last times I will write for our journal in my capacity as President of the QNU.

After much contemplation I made the very difficult decision not to stand again for the position when nominations were called for this round of QNU Council elections.

Congratulations to Sally-Anne Jones who has been elected unopposed to succeed me as President. I know Sally will bring fresh ideas and a youthful optimism to the QNU’s executive team.

While I will no longer be President, I will always be union. Many of my active QNU colleagues will agree that union is in your blood. I am proud to be union and proud of the strong and professional organisation our Union has become.

I joined the QNU in 1987 after completing an Intensive Care Course at the RBWH. Since that time our Union has been transformed into a modern, democratic and relevant organisation that is every day successful in promoting and defending the interests and values of members.

Our successes are due in large part to a robust vision and plan which lights our way forward. Through our Union’s democratic structures we ensure nurses and midwives have a significant voice in their workplaces, within their profession, and more broadly.

But a union is only as strong as its members—we cannot become complacent with the strength and power we now possess.

There’s no denying our profession is getting older. Many of us are considering retirement in the not so distant future. We are acutely aware of the dire consequences this ‘retirement bulge’ will have on the remaining nursing workforce, but what of our Union? Like our profession, a significant challenge for our Union will be to inject new blood into our existing democratic structures. Some of us need to make way for this renewal to occur. We cannot risk leaving our Union with gaping knowledge gaps and losing what we have taken so long to build.

Young people are so important to our Union—they are innovators, they are determined and like us, they aspire to a better future. They are the future of our profession and the next generation of QNU leaders. We must be prepared to inspire these young people to get active in our Union and then to be their mentors.

While it is immensely fulfilling to reflect on the journey we’ve come on together, it is also exciting to think about where we’re headed. I look forward to being part of the future of our Union.

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