Readying the Nursing Workforce to Embrace an Ever-Changing World

It's no surprise to anyone to have us say that we are living in challenging times. Though some may have thought that a postpandemic world would see the recovery and stabilization of economies, healthcare systems and workforces, at times it feels somewhat similar to a never-ending era of calamity. We continue to live in a time of polycrisis - from economic instability exacerbated by ongoing global trade wars, struggling health workforces impacting the accessibility and availability of healthcare services, to worsening planetary health exacerbating food and water insecurity, physical and mental health issues, health inequities and forced migration and displacement. We are severely off track to meet the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 (UN 2015). Nurses and nurse practitioners are leaving the profession at record numbers, with many leaving just within the first few years of being licensed (Faubert 2025). Working conditions remain a challenge across provincial and territorial health systems (CFNU 2025). Yet, while the future may look bleak, these wicked problems are not impossible to fix. Indeed, this is our new normal - a constantly changing world that, now more than ever, needs our resolve to create a healthier future for all.