Julie Weir is a nurse practising in New Brunswick who has been working with Choosing Wisely Canada for more than three years. As Clinician Co-Lead for Long-Term Care, she has focused on improving the appropriate use of antipsychotics to improve the care of residents across the country. In addition to this role, Julie is now stepping in as Choosing Wisely Canadas Nursing Lead to inspire leadership and grow the Nursing Community of Practice (COP) launched in 2024.

CWC: As you step into this new role, what is your goal in the Nursing Lead position?

JW: Choosing Wisely Canada has made great progress with engaging physicians in this work, but there’s now an opportunity to bring that same energy to nursing. I hope to highlight the nursing voice, and to encourage involvement of other nurses to see that they belong with Choosing Wisely. Thinking specifically to nurse practitioners and nurse prescribing, we have a lot to offer, and I want help nurses to navigate our recommendations and see where they can use them in their work.

CWC: One way to help nurses is through the Community of Practice. What is your unique vision for the Nursing COP?

JW: Since 2024, we have more than 60 nurses involved in the COP. My goal is to continue to expand and connect with that group, and to really encourage leadership from the frontline nurses. I want them to see themselves as leaders and to bring the unique aspects of what they do in their workplace and understand how they can embed resource stewardship and Choosing Wisely recommendations. Sharing that progress with the rest of the group and presenting it at those community of practice meetings to encourage collaboration and shared learning. The COP is an open group, and we would love to see more nurses and nurse practitioners join. If you are interested in joining,  email info@choosingwiselycanada.org.

CWC: How do you think the collaboration between nursing and CWC has the power to transform health care?

JW: Health care has gone through a lot of changes over the last several years, with many strains and stressors. The only thing that’s going to get us through these troubling times is for everyone to work to their scope of practice and to optimize that scope in a way that the patient or the resident or the client gets the best possible care at the right time. One way for that to happen is to use recommendations that are evidence-based and embed them into practice with nurses, prescribers, and other providers. It’s about everyone on the team contributing to ensure patients have the best possible outcome.

CWC: Why is it important for you to encourage Choosing Wisely and resource stewardship in practice?

JW: Choosing Wisely like I’ve said, is a resource that is available to nurses, but not necessarily widely known. Nursing involvement is relatively new, but nurses have a huge role to play. As a leader in the nursing profession, I have the ability to bring those messages to nurses and guide understanding.

Using the urine dipstick work as an example, nurses are the ones who are directing this practice, which involves ensuring residents are assessed and monitored before assuming they have a bladder infection. We are the change that we need to see. If we’re able to get that message out and to highlight the leadership role of nurses, then we’ll be able to change that practice and see better outcomes and more sustainable practice.

CWC: Finally, what is your vision for the future of nursing and health care in general?

JW: I’d like to see more partnership in co-design and co-development of guidelines having nurses at the table and through to implementation.  We bring a crucial perspective and practical knowledge that makes implementation stronger and more effective.

On a broader scale, I’d like to see more nurses step up and step out into leadership roles and to see themselves as leaders. There are many things that nurses do as part of their regular work that they don’t necessarily identify as leadership roles, but they absolutely are. I want nurses to recognize themselves for the leaders that they are and take on more leadership opportunities — ultimately taking that person-centred approach where the patient, resident, or client is at the centre of everything that we do.