In celebration of National Nursing Week 2025, we’re highlighting the voices of nurses across Providence Health Care who embody this year’s theme: “Changing Lives. Shaping Tomorrow.” Whether they’re just beginning their careers or have decades of experience, nurses play a vital role in shaping the future of health care—through compassion, innovation, and dedication. This week, we’re sharing their stories to recognize the impact they make every day and to celebrate the many paths that lead to nursing.
When Tiffany Sayers first walked through the doors of St. Paul’s Hospital as a psychiatric nursing student, she had no idea she’d one day return—not in scrubs, but in a leadership role that’s reshaping how Providence Health Care supports and celebrates its Indigenous staff.
Now the Lead for Indigenous Employee Experience & Recruitment, Tiffany’s story is a powerful example of how a nursing career can evolve in unexpected and meaningful ways.
“I never thought I’d be a nurse,” Tiffany says. “I was actually taking courses in computer information systems when I went to a Douglas College info session to support a friend. That session changed my life. I realized that psychiatric nursing and supporting people in some of their most vulnerable moments, was exactly where I wanted to be.”
Tiffany’s path has been shaped by deep personal experiences. Her father, a survivor of intergenerational trauma and the legacy of residential schools, struggled with mental health and substance use. Her mother lived with agoraphobia during Tiffany’s formative years. These early experiences ignited Tiffany’s compassion, resilience, and a desire to be part of change, especially for those living with mental health challenges.
After years of working as a frontline Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) and in leadership roles across mental health, substance use, forensic psychiatry, and youth programming, Tiffany recently returned to St. Paul’s Hospital. Her mission? To make Providence Health Care a workplace where Indigenous employees feel valued, safe, and supported.
“My role is all about relationships,” she says. “I’m working with Indigenous Wellness and Reconciliation and the Recruitment and Retention teams to create culturally safe environments for Indigenous staff, and to ensure our hiring practices are equitable and inclusive.”
One of her first initiatives is developing a voluntary self-identification survey for Indigenous employees, guided by Providence’s Indigenous Wellness and Reconciliation Action Plan. The goal to create a safe, affirming, and equitable environment for Indigenous staff and medical staff, residents, volunteers, and learners.
“This is deeply meaningful work,” Tiffany says. “And I carry my nursing background with me every day. The skills I developed at the bedside—building trust, advocating, listening—are the same skills I now use in leadership. Nursing gave me the foundation to move into a role that bridges health care, reconciliation, and human connection.”
A nursing career can take you anywhere
Tiffany wants other nurses to know: You don’t have to stay at the bedside forever. “Nursing gives you the tools to go in so many directions. You can build on that foundation to find the role that speaks to your values and passions.”
For Tiffany, that passion includes advocating for Indigenous equity, healing, and representation in health care. She’s also a member of the Board of Directors for the BC College of Nurses and Midwives, further shaping the future of nursing in BC.
A community of care
Tiffany describes Providence as a place where she feels welcomed and encouraged. “People have been incredibly kind. Even in such a big organization, it feels personal. I love that Providence has an All-Nations Sacred Space for ceremony and quiet reflection. It says a lot about our values.”
She’s quick to acknowledge the steep learning curve that comes with navigating a large health organization but finds strength in connection and community. “When I meet another nurse, no matter what role they’re in, I feel that unspoken bond. We’ve walked similar paths.”
Words of wisdom for aspiring nurses
Tiffany’s advice for anyone considering a nursing career? “Say yes to the opportunities that come your way. You never know where nursing might take you. And if you’re thinking about Providence specifically, know that it’s a place where your voice can matter, and your work can make a real impact.”
This Nursing Week, we honour nurses like Tiffany, who remind us that the heart of nursing beats far beyond the bedside. It lives in every role that supports healing, equity, and compassion.
For more information on nursing careers at Providence, including out latest opportunities, please visit careers.providencehealthcare.org.
