Canadian Nurses Foundation announces fundraising event, The Night Shift: Lighting Up the Night for Nurses

Proceeds will support nursing scholarships across Canada with a focus on inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility to help address critical issues facing nursing and the health care system

OTTAWA, Oct. 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  Canadian Nurses Foundation, a national charity that invests in nursing education and research through bursaries, scholarships and grants, is set to host The Night Shift: Lighting Up the Night for Nurses on November 17, 2022 at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. At a time when Canada is facing an urgent and rising nursing shortage – with nursing job vacancies up over 200% compared to five years ago* – this in-person event will raise funds for the charity’s long standing scholarship program with a focus on advancing inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA).

“We continue to see severe nursing shortages which are having a dire impact on Canadians across the country and our health care system,” says Cheryl Pollard, PhD, Dean of Faculty of Nursing, University of Regina, and Scholarships and Awards Merit Review Panel Chair, Canadian Nurses Foundation. “The Canadian Nurses Foundation’s upcoming fundraiser The Night Shift: Lighting Up the Night for Nurses is an opportunity to contribute to advancing inclusive education opportunities for nurses and better patient care for all.”

Hosted by award-winning Canadian media personality Stefan Keyes, The Night Shift will be a memorable Miami-inspired night of dancing, mingling, gourmet bites and more with celebrated entertainer DJ StokeS. Dr Leigh Chapman, Canada’s Chief Nursing Officer, will welcome guests including nurses from across the region along with many other special attendees. For tickets to this can’t-miss event, visit www.cnfnightshift.ca. Access to the virtual auction, which is open to all Canadians, is available via the website.

With proceeds from events like The Night Shift, the Canadian Nurses Foundation is able to offer more than 100 scholarships per year. With the cost of living, tuition and books rising rapidly, the Canadian Nurses Foundation is able to provide funding to one-in-four applicants every year.

As the Canadian Nurses Foundation marks its 60th year supporting and investing in nurses, the organization has:

• Awarded over 2,000 scholarships to nursing students and nurse researchers across Canada
• Invested more than $12 million in educational scholarships and nurse-led research
• Raised over $1 million dollars for Indigenous nursing education and research and provided scholarships to over 200 Indigenous nurses
• Established an annual program that awarded 34 new scholarships this year to nursing students and nurse researchers who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Colour

The Canadian Nurses Foundation thanks this year’s sponsors for their valued support and commitment. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.cnfnightshift.ca and follow us on Facebook @cnf.fiic, Instagram @canadiannursesfoundation and Twitter @theCNF using #CNFnightshift

*Nursing vacancies in early 2022 were more than triple (+219.8%) the level of five years earlier according to Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey, July 2022

About Canadian Nurses Foundation

Celebrating our 60^th anniversary, the Canadian Nurses Foundation supports world-class Canadian health care by raising funds to advance nursing knowledge and research, and by recognizing professional merit in Canada’s nurses. We offer more than 100 scholarships in support of nursing education for students across Canada at the baccalaureate, masters and Ph.D. levels. By investing in nursing education and research today, we can be prepared to face the health care challenges of tomorrow. Visit cnf-fiic.ca and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

For media inquiries, contact: Christina Vanin, The Edit PR, christina@theeditcanada.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5eb8c41d-c444-4432-9b58-62bc72df43f4