THE BC Nurses’ Union on Friday welcomed a new president, vice president, provincial treasurer, and several new members of BCNU Council, the union’s highest governing body. Province-wide union elections this past spring saw nurses elect new leaders who began their three-year term on September 1.

BCNU’s new president is Adriane Gear, a Victoria-based registered nurse who has been practising since 1993. Gear has worked in long-term care and general surgery at Saanich Peninsula, Royal Jubilee, and Victoria General hospitals. Most recently, she worked in case, contact management and surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She was first elected to BCNU Council in 2011 as a representative of the union’s South Island region and went on to hold provincial executive positions that included executive councillor for health safety and mental health and most recently, as vice president.

Gear is passionate about health and safety and cares deeply about the working conditions of nurses and the patients in their care.

“Whether it’s finding solutions to the province’s severe nurse shortage or working with government to implement minimum nurse-patient ratios, I am excited to roll up my sleeves and get to work,” said Gear. “Every day, I’m hearing from nurses concerned about the state of patient care in this province. And I’m committed to doing whatever I can to improve working conditions for nurses and ensure patients get the care they need and deserve.”

Gear succeeds outgoing BCNU President Aman Grewal who was acclaimed in 2021. Meet the union’s new provincial executive committee and regional executive leadership.