Debbie Forward has spent the last 24 years as the top advocate for nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador. After 24 years as president of the Registered Nurses Union of Newfoundland and Labrador, Forward will retire from her role in December.
Forward sat down with The Telegram to answer 20 questions and discuss her passion for her work, the father she lost at a young age, and the family she’ll get to spend more time with after this year.
1. What is your full name?
Debra Ruth Forward.
2. Where and when were you both?
St. John’s in 1958,
3. Where do you live today?
St. John’s.
4. What is your favourite place in the world?
Where I live: Newfoundland and Labrador. I love my province. I love to travel and usually when I travel, what I enjoy most is sunshine, warmth, beaches, culture, but no matter where I go in the world, I can’t wait to get home.
5. Who do you follow on social media?
My Facebook page is a personal page (and) I’m very selective of who I’m friends with. My Twitter account is more of a work account … I follow nursing leaders, union leaders, politicians, both provincial and federal (and) many, many media people. I find Twitter is my go-to place for what’s happening in the news or political-wise.
6. What has been your favourite year and why?
I can’t pick one year. It has to be the years my two boys were born and the year my granddaughter was born. So, 1984, 1985 – my sons were a year and 20 days apart – and my granddaughter was born in 2014.
7. What is the hardest thing that you have ever done?
In 1999. I signed a letter giving seven days’ notice for a job action. It was the right thing to do and I had such support of our members, but still, signing that piece of paper was the hardest thing. Next to that was making the decision the strike was happening … because of the tremendous impact that decision and action was going to have on my members and on the healthcare system and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
8. Can you describe one experience that has changed your life?
That experience would have to be the first time I was elected as president of the nurses union in 1996. That election was required because our previous president, Joan Marie Aylward, was elected to the House of Assembly, so the position was vacant. I was a member of the board of directors and our process, under our constitution, was to elect a president from the board members. After several people encouraged me to run, I put my name forward. I was frightened to death. I wasn’t sure I was capable. But I took strength from the fact other people felt I was capable. It changed my life and the trajectory of my nursing career. It changed the life of my children because, of course, they were impacted by that. It was the best thing that ever happened to me and I can’t imagine where I would be today if I hadn’t put my name forward.
9. What is your greatest indulgence?
Retail therapy is certainly my stress relief. If I’m having a bad day, a lot of times as I leave work, my vehicle just drives to Winners. I like to just track around in Winners and look. Sometimes I buy, sometimes I don’t… (but) I forget work, I forget everything that’s going on around me when I’m in that environment.
10. What is your favourite movie or book?
My favourite movie is "The Sound of Music." Every time it’s on TV, I just have to have it on. It has this great scenery and Julie Andrews is the absolute best. The singing, the kids… you could just lose yourself in that movie. I still find when it comes on now, I lose myself in it. It always makes me happy.
11. How do you like to relax?
I like to shop, but also to walk. I do watch some shows on TV – I call them mindless shows. They’re usually psychological thrillers. You have to use a little bit of your brain but it’s not too technical. Also, time with family. When my granddaughter comes – she’ll soon be six – we play dolls and she wears me out, but it’s the best relaxation just to have her near and see her smile.
12. What are you reading or watching right now?
I’m reading Michelle Obama’s book “Becoming.” I’m about halfway through and it’s a great book. My daughter-in-law gave it to me.
13. What is your greatest fear?
My greatest fear is I’ve left retirement too late. I fear I spent too much time working and not enough time figuring out all the joys of life after work. Part and parcel of that is a fear something will happen that (means) I’m not able to enjoy retirement, like my time with my granddaughter. I fear not being around for all those big occasions that I know are going to happen in my kids’ lives and my granddaughter’s life. Not being able to participate in that. That’s a big fear.
14. How would you describe your personal fashion statement?
I’m bold, especially with bold colours. Green is my favourite colour – not dull, muted green. Lime green is me. I’m a little trendy, I think. I’m not on the edge, but I’m a little on the edge. I think I have a vibrancy I like to portray. I get a lot of energy from what I wear. Sometimes … I look at the weather and decide what I’ll wear (the next day). But I could put it on in the morning and think ‘No, I’m not doing that today.’ I could change several times because I find my clothes always lift me up, but can also drag me down.
15. What is your most treasured possession?
Things aren’t very important to me. I have a lot of things, a lot of clothes, but they’re just things. I don’t treasure anything but family. Family is my most treasured possession (plus) my friends and those relationships.
16. What physical or personality trait are you most grateful to a parent for?
My dad (Reginald Powell) passed away when I was one. I never knew my father. My mom (Lorna Clouter) was a young, widowed mom with two young children. I was one and my sister was three. It’s tough for anyone going through that, but it was certainly tough in the late 1950s. In particular, she taught me there’s always a way. I cannot remember ever doing without anything I needed. She always provided for us; we always found a way. And she taught me to be very grateful for what I have. She’s been my role model in many ways. She raised two successful daughters (and) both of us are registered nurses. I think she taught us that everything is possible because she got through those difficult times. We learned from her that nothing can hold us back.
17. Is your mother still with us?
Yes, she’s 91. She lives on her own, she’s very active, she’s healthy, she still drives, she walks every day. She has a busy social life and a zillion friends. She’s just an amazing woman.
18. Who are three people you would invite to join you for the dinner party of your dreams?
I would focus on my family. My dad, who I’ve never met. My grandparents on my father’s side: my grandfather was alive when I was a child, but I don’t remember him. My grandmother on my father’s side, who passed away a few years ago, but we were very close. I’m going to have more than three. My dinner party is going to be six of us: my father, my grandparents on my father’s side, my grandparents on my mother’s side. No. 1, I want to meet my dad. I know he’s proud, I know he’s watching, I just want to talk to him.
19. What is your best quality and what is your worst quality?
My best quality is my ability to problem-solve. I guess that’s from my nursing background. The nursing process is about assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation. It’s ingrained into us and it’s a skill that I’ve used in every aspect of my life. I think one of my worst qualities is sometimes getting a bit over-passionate, especially in the work realm. Sometimes my passion gets the better of me and people have to rein me back in.
20. What is your biggest regret?
Not taking enough time to practice self-care. Passion for work and the amount of work … it doesn’t matter. You could work 24 hours and seven days a week and there’s always work to be done. It’s taken me a long while to learn self-care is so important. Making sure you carve out that time for yourself and making room for the important things that sustain you, even in the bad times … things like connection with friends. When you really needed them, they were there, but if you don’t maintain that contact, the risk is that you lose them. Making sure that you’re building in the time for family. I know I did as much as I can do to participate in all the things in my family and that type of thing, but there were times I missed out.
Twitter: @DavidMaherNL
