No, I don’t keep it in a velvet box or under glass. Instead, I wear my King Charles III award for “Excellence in Nursing Education” (thank you, Michael Villeneuve, old pal and himself, an Order of Canada recipient) out in public, even to the dog park.

This shiny medal puts it out there. It starts conversations— about Nursing.

It gives the message that Nursing belongs front and center in all public discourse about healthcare.

If we’re talking about problems or gaps in healthcare, Nursing and nurses must be in the conversation.

Nursing is everyone’s concern, not just nurses.

That’s why I wrote “The Handover – Nurse’s Last Shift” for everyone, not “for nurses only.”