Nursing Week 2008 – CAMH Expert Available for Comment

Diversity and culture are bigger factors than ever in nursing; the seldom-heard view of mental health and addictions nursing

For immediate Release (May 12, 2008 - Toronto) – With an increasingly diverse population in Ontario, there’s never been a better time to look at Nursing Week through the lens of culture and equity as a factor in healthcare.

Mental illness and addictions are also increasingly important, and yet it’s an uphill battle to recruit in this area of nursing, even though it can be exceptionally rewarding.

Rani Srivastava, Deputy Chief, Nursing Practice at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is a leading speaker on these issues and a 25-year veteran of nursing, education and research.

She recently chaired a national panel cultural diversity in healthcare for the Registered Nurses Association of Ontarioand authored a textbook on this subject which is currently being used in nursing schools.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is one of the leading addiction and mental health organizations in North America and Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital. CAMH is a Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization Collaborating Centre, and is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto.

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For more information or to set up an interview, please contact Michael Torres, CAMH Media Relations, 416-595-6015 or media@camh.net.