Finding your strength in a time of crisis: Reflections from an oncology nurse leader

Dr. Charissa Cordon has two decades of experience in healthcare, as a nurse, educator, and leader. She was recently appointed to the role of Associate Vice President for Practice and Academics at William Osler Health System. She has held other senior leadership roles such as Director of Professional Practice and Clinical Resource Team, Chief of Nursing Practice, and Chief of Interprofessional Practice in Oncology. With a wealth of experience as a transformational change leader in nursing and professional practice, she has led many initiatives at the local, provincial, and national levels. In her Keynote Address at the 2023 CANO/ACIO Conference, Charissa shared her personal reflections on her life experiences that shaped her values and principles as a leader, and provided examples of how she draws on her inner strength to lead during difficult and challenging times and shine a bright light to those around her. Today, as we continue with our post-pandemic recovery efforts, nurses and nurse leaders must continue to work together to support our young nurses who are new to the profession. We also need to continue to lift each other up, support each other, support our new leaders, and shine a bright light to those around us. Our strength as nurses and leaders, during a time of crisis comes from within us, individually from each of us, and together, as a collective whole.