Our CIUSSS Was Well Represented at SIDIIEF Conference in Ottawa

The Secrétariat International des Infirmières et Infirmiers de l’Espace francophone (SIDIIEF) held its world congress in Ottawa last June. Healthcare professionals came from Congo, France, Switzerland, Belgium and Libya to discuss their respective practices and attend training sessions. 

The congress was an opportunity for all participants to share their nursing knowledge, their cultural approaches, means of supporting informal caregivers, and to discuss any number of other topics. 

Staffing a colourful CIUSSS kiosk and greeting the participants were Brigitte Bourgeois and Elvi Cruz from the Human Resources and Legal Affairs Directorate, along with Patrick Eccles, a nurse and coordinator for intensive care and document management.   

Mr. Medhi Dimpre, an oncology nurse from Pas-de-Calais, France, was on hand to learn more about the situation in Canada and in Québec. He was particularly pleased to meet with our colleagues at the CIUSSS kiosk. So much so, in fact, that he mentioned it in his mission report, which was published in France. We reached him in Calais, and Mr. Dimpre was very happy to share his impressions. “Your representatives were excellent, even perfect,” he said. “They made me want to apply to work with you! That’s why I wanted to mention them here. They were proud to represent your institution and did so with great success.” 

In speaking with our representatives, he took the opportunity to discuss differences in the job titles and roles of nurses in France and Canada. He enquired about the way that Québec’s CISSS and CIUSSS function and said he hoped such conversations could happen more frequently. 

After returning to France, Mr. Dimpre decided to take his career in a new direction. He had been working as an oncology nurse coordinator at the Centre hospitalier de Calais but has since accepted a new position at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Paris, which he says is one of the best cancer centres in the world. 

Note: Mr. Medhi Dimpre’s complete report was published on the Association Française des Infirmièr(e)s en Cancérologie (AFIC) website. Members can view it there.