Date: 2007
Location: Edmonton
Profile: Wendy Brigham graduated in 1974 from the Winnipeg General Hospital. After moving to Alberta in 1979, she began a long nursing career at the Rocky View General Hospital in 1980. She worked in many areas of nursing, first with pediatric patients, later in general surgery, and eventually in neurology.
Brigham has been passionate about collective action throughout her career. As a lifelong union activist, she has mentored and represented others at her own hospital but also demonstrated solidarity by organizing travel by her fellow workers to other facilities to support their struggles. Having survived the Klein cutbacks, she could see years later the negative impact of those reduced budgets on the Alberta health care system.
Wendy Brigham is delighted by the positive developments she has seen for the nursing profession during her career. She believes that mentorship flows both ways with nurses supporting each other with a common goal of patient care as they face challenges created by public policy and management structures. Brigham is committed to solidarity as she transmits her knowledge to newer nurses while aiding their development as future Alberta leaders in both nursing and the labour movement.
Keywords: Local President; Mentorship; Nursing strikes; Rocky View General Hospital; Solidarity actions.
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See also: United Nurses of Alberta; Women and Work in Alberta