Lois Ann Fairley Explained

Lois Ann Fairley
Honorific Suffix:RN
Birth Name:Lois Ann Cowan
Birth Date:6 July 1931
Birth Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Death Place:Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Occupation:Nurse, Patient care advocate, Ontario labour leader, Community Service activist
Years Active:1955–1993
Employer:Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital
Organization:Ontario Nurses Association
Children:
  • Grant D. Fairley
  • Brian M. Fairley
  • John A. Fairley
Parents:James Alexander Cowan and Grace Fenwick Williams
Relatives:

Lois Ann Fairley, RN (Cowan; July 6, 1931 – July 19, 2007) was a Canadian nurse, a patient care advocate, an Ontario labour leader, and a community service activist.[1]

Personal life

Lois Ann Fairley was born on July 6, 1931, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to James Alexander Cowan, and Grace Fenwick Williams. She was the granddaughter of the Canadian Presbyterian minister and historian, Hugh Cowan. She was also the granddaughter of Canadian journalist and historian, Fred Williams; the great-granddaughter of the Victorian era war correspondent, writer, and newspaper editor Charles Williams; and the niece of Olympic athlete John Fitzpatrick.

She graduated as a registered nurse at the Grace Hospital and worked there from 1955 until her retirement in 1993.[2] [3] She married Henry William Grant Fairley, a Windsor police officer, on June 25, 1955.[4] [5]

Career

Nursing

Fairley worked as a registered nurse in her 38 years of nursing career at the Grace Hospital in Windsor, Ontario, Canada from 1955 to 1993. Grace Hospital was founded as a general hospital in 1920. It was closed in 1996 and merged with Hotel-Dieu Hospital. She was noted by her colleagues for her ongoing support for nurses. She was said to be "the heart and soul of nursing in Windsor." She served as a head nurse for various departments in Grace hospital and acted as mentor to student nurses from St. Clair College and The University of Windsor nursing programmes, and was vocal about the workplace issues such as salary and benefits she knew nurses deserved.[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] She was a founding member of the Ontario Nurses Association October 13, 1973.[12]

In October 1975, Bernice Hicks became the President and Fairley was elected as the Ontario Nurses Association President-elect. In November 1976, Fairley became president of the Ontario Nurses Association. In January 1977, the Ontario Nurses Association and the Ontario Hospital Association agree that "province-wide bargaining is desirable." During her presidency, the pivotal declaration on the importance of nurses in patient care is released. The ONA Health Review is entitled "Let Us Take Care" and achieves widespread and positive media coverage for nurses in the profession. 120,000 copies are distributed in the first-printing. "The public and media respond with calls with more money for mental health programs, a halt to the decline in health care and an end to abuse in hospitals." Nursing gains a positive reputation in the public. Her term is ended in November 1977 and she was replaced by the next Ontario Nurses Association President Sharon Thompson. Fairley also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario. She served from 1984 to 1986 as the RNAO member-at-large for socio-economic welfare. She also championed "Project Turnabout", a support group to help nurses struggling with drug and/or alcohol addictions.[6] [13] [14]

Recognition

Following her death in 2007, an award for nurses was named after her, the Lois A. Fairley Nurse of the Year Community Service Award. The award was given to nurses in Windsor and Essex area in recognition for the care and compassion to patients, and contributions to the field of nursing. The award is given by the Windsor – Essex Chapter of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario.[15]

Lois A. Fairley Nursing Award recipients since 2008[16] [17]
YearRecipientOrganizationReference
2023Mary CunninghamWindsor Regional Hospital[18]
2022 Nurses who came out of retirement during the pandemic[19]
2021All the Nurses of Windsor and Essex County
during the COVID-19 pandemic
[20] [21]
2020[22]
2019Barb DeterWindsor Essex County Health Unit[23]
2018Douglas MercerWindsor Regional Hospital[24]
2017Francoise StanutzThe Hospice of Windsor-Essex County[25]
2016Marylynn HolzelWindsor Regional Hospital[26]
2015Rita Di BiaseWindsor Regional Hospital[27]
2014Eva LewisLeamington District Memorial Hospital[28]
2013Shauna CarterHotel-Dieu Grace Hospital[29]
2012Ursula DeBonoWindsor Regional Hospital[30]
2011Carole GillThe Hospice of Windsor-Essex County
2010Terry JohnstonWindsor Regional Cancer Clinic
2009Georgina KellyHotel-Dieu Grace Hospital
2008Linda MorounWindsor Regional Hospital[31]

Death

She died at the age of 76 on July 19, 2007, at the Hospice Village in Windsor, Ontario, Canada after succumbing to cancer.[4] [6] Her resting place is at the Greenlawn Memorial Gardens in Oldcastle, Ontario.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ONA Past President Passes Away: Nurses Join in Mourning of Lois Fairley, RN . . July 20, 2007 . January 18, 2013.
  2. News: Mary. Caton. Grace Hospital celebrates 100 years . February 9, 2020 . . February 15, 2020 . en.
  3. Book: Gervais, Marty . Amazing Grace: Salvation Army Grace Hospital, Windsor Ontario . Black Moss Press . 2019 . 9780887536120 . Windsor . 129–131.
  4. Web site: Lois Ann Fairley R.N. . ObitsForLife . January 18, 2013.
  5. Web site: Hundreds of Students Receive $300K Worth of Scholarships and Bursaries . February 25, 2016 . . June 17, 2019.
  6. Obituary: Lois Fairley, RN . Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario . Registered Nurse Journal . September–October 2007 . 19 . 5 . 6. Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario .
  7. News: Angry Nurses Seeking Support . . July 15, 1974 . February 4, 2013 . Gord Henderson . 51–4 . Mrs. Lois Fairley, who represents the Ontario Nurses Association in the tri- county area, said the demonstrations are part of province-wide effort "to ....
  8. News: Hospital Officials Disappointed Over Cutback Order . . January 9, 1976 . February 4, 2013 . 60 . Lois Fairley, representative of the local Ontario Nurses Association with (ON 1.000 registered nurses in more than four city hospitals, said she didn't know ....
  9. News: Chronic Cases Said Cause Of Hospital Bed Shortages . . . April 7, 1977 . February 4, 2013 . 60 . At least 40 to 50 chronic patients are occupying active beds in Windsor's four hospitals and are contributing to a shortage of active beds, Lois Fairley, President of the Ontario Nurses' Association said Wednesday..
  10. News: Nurses: Overworked, understaffed . . November 5, 1979 . February 4, 2013 . Chris Zdeb . Lois Fairley, a past president of the Ontario Nursing Association and a head nurse of a medical/surgical ward at Grace Hospital, asks the question but isn't sure of the answer. It's like sitting on a time bomb, she says, and nurses are afraid patients may die because they haven't the time -- or the expertise -- to handle an overloaded roster of duties..
  11. News: Cutbacks at clinic deplored . . November 23, 1985 . February 4, 2013 . Chris Vander Doelen . I think it's really a bad move, and I think it's going to affect the community," said Lois Fairley of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, which has grieved the change..
  12. Web site: Grace Hospital celebrates 100 years. Windsor Star. en-CA. 2020-05-30.
  13. Web site: Our History 1973-1979 . . January 18, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121212182322/https://www.ona.org/about_us/our_history/1973-1979.html . December 12, 2012 . dead .
  14. Web site: ONA Milestones - A Retrospective 1973-2012 . . January 18, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121212173003/https://www.ona.org/documents/File/ONA_Milestones_2012.pdf . December 12, 2012 . dead .
  15. News: Nominations open for nurse award . . April 13, 2009 . January 26, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140429191652/http://www2.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=7980e16f-dfc3-434c-96a5-9f1910431efb . April 29, 2014 . dead .
  16. Web site: Lois A. Fairley Nurse of the Year Community Service Award . . January 18, 2013.
  17. News: Leamington hospital nurse Eva Lewis wins award . . April 23, 2014 . April 29, 2014.
  18. Web site: Kotsis . Julie . 2023-05-08 . ICU nurse practitioner earns Lois Fairley Nurse of the Year award . May 31, 2023 . Windsor Star.
  19. Web site: Retired nurses honoured for role during pandemic . 2022-05-26 . . en-CA.
  20. Web site: Lois Fairley Nursing Award recognizes 'All Nurses' in 2021. Masotti. Stefanie. 2021-05-11. CTV News. en. 2021-08-10.
  21. News: Recipient of annual Lois Fairley nursing award named . . May 11, 2021 . August 10, 2021 . Battagello . Dave.
  22. Web site: In celebration of nurses week annual award to be presented to all Windsor-Essex nurses. Charlton. Lindsay. 2020-05-13. CTV Windsor. en. 2020-05-30.
  23. News: Photo: Striking public health nurse receives Lois A. Fairley Award. May 6, 2018. Windsor Star. September 21, 2018. en-US.
  24. News: Award goes to male nurse for the first time. May 6, 2018. Windsor Star. September 21, 2018. en-US.
  25. News: Day before retirement, Hospice's Stanutz named nurse of the year. Cross, Brian. April 27, 2017. Windsor Star. May 10, 2017.
  26. News: For dedication to patients and community, Marylynn Holzel named Nurse of the Year. Cross, Brian. April 12, 2016. Windsor Star. April 20, 2016.
  27. News: Rita DiBiase wins prestigious Nursing Award for care and compassion. Mary Caton. April 22, 2015. Windsor Star. April 24, 2015.
  28. News: Leamington hospital nurse Eva Lewis wins award. 2014-04-23. Windsor Star. 2018-09-21. en-US.
  29. News: Hotel-Dieu nurse practitioner wins Lois Fairley nursing award. 2013-04-26. Windsor Star. 2018-09-21. en-US.
  30. Web site: RNAO Windsor-Essex Chapter. Windsor-Essex Chapter. 2018-09-21.
  31. Web site: Veteran nurse lauded. May 17, 2008. Windsor Star. Canada. January 26, 2013.