Ross (nee King), Betty (1943-   )

Betty Ross received her BSN from the University of Victoria in 1991 and her MSN from the University of British Columbia in 1998.  She was a clinical nurse with management and nurse educator experience and clinical expertise in the care of patients in neuroscience, respiratory science, critical care, and emergency settings.  She received an RNABC Award of Excellence in Nursing Practice in 2003 and an Excellence in Thoracic Surgery Nursing Award in 2004.

During the late 1970s she was involved in dialogues at Vancouver General Hospital which focused on giving nurses a stronger voice in the management of their profession, which brought them into conflict with senior management and the board of trustees.  Lack of sufficient skilled nurses to give high quality patient care became the subject of an independent inquiry which resulted in the nurses getting most of what they wished.  The Board of Trustees was dismissed, and sixty additional nurses and other key personnel were hired.  Ross saw this as “A good example of what a group of dedicated nurses can do when their profession is being devalued and roles not respected”.

Contents of Biographical File

  1. Biographical (Information Profile
  2. Curriculum Vitae
  3. Report on VGH by Peter Bazowski, Public Administrator, October 16, 1978.
  4. Message from L.V. Truitt, President of VGH, to VGH employees, April 26, 1978.
  5. Action Plan, nd.
  6. RNABC Fact Sheet, VGH, September 12. 1977-May 26, 1978.
  7. Letter to Mrs. B. Lantz from Dr. F.P. Patterson, Head, Dept. of Surgery, October 13, 1977.
  8. VGH. Strawman, Clinical Nursing Structure, September 29, 1976.
  9. What’s Wrong at VGH, nd.
  10. Letters from the Committee of Concerned Nurses to Mrs. D. Babcock and L. Babcock, April 19, 1978.  Includes list of nurses.
  11. Letter to Betty King from Mrs. D. Babcock, May 1, 1978.
  12. Memo to Dr. G.B. Thompson from Betty King, June 28, 1978.
  13. Letter to Dr. F.P. Patterson from G.B. Thompson, August 3, 1978.
  14. Letter to Dr. F.P. Patterson from Betty King, August 2, 1978.
  15. Letter to Betty King from Dr. F.P. Patterson, August 4, 1978.
  16. Letter to Mrs. C.Y. Lim from Dr. F.P. Patterson, July 17, 1978.
  17. Hand written notes from meetings, April-May 1978.
  18. “Nurses Seek Inquiry into VGH Situation”, May 12, 1978.
  19. “A Summary of Strivings to Control Conditions of Nursing Practice”, nd.
  20. Letter to Mr. Milton Wong, Chairman of Board of VGH, from the Committee of Concerned Nurses, May 5, 1978.
  21. Letter to CKVU from Betty King, June 12, 1978.
  22. Letter from the Committee of Concerned Nurses to VGH Nursing Staff and Colleagues, May 5, 1978.
  23. List of Nurses
  24. “VGH Finally Boils Over”, RNABC News, August-September 1978, pp. 6-7.
  25. “Minister Acts on VGH Problems”, RNABC News, November 1978, pp. 3-5.
  26. “Nurses Fight to Improve Care at BC’s Major Referral Hospital”, RNABC News, June-July 1978, pp. 3-7.
  27. Newspaper clippings:
    1. “Three More Senior Nurses Resign”, Vancouver Sun, August 9, 1978
    2. “Another Nurse Resigns”, nd
    3. “Another VGH Nurse Resigns Predicting More Likely Soon”, nd
    4. “Neurosurgery Head Nurse Quits VGH Post”, Vancouver Sun, July 28, 1978.
    5. “Problems at VGH Blamed on Summer Staff Shortage”, Vancouver Sun, July 27, 1978.
    6. Andrea Maitland, “Air of Calm Slowly Returns to Strife-torn VGH”, Vancouver Sun, nd
    7. “Hospital ‘Routinely’ Closes 158 Beds”
    8. “Shortages Delay Surgery, Says Top Nurse Who Quit”, Vancouver Sun, July 26, 1978.
    9. “Resignations Pile Up at ‘Disastrous’ VGH, Vancouver Sun, August 9, 1978, A1-A2.
    10. “’Horse Sense’ Has Tamed VGH”, Vancouver Sun, August 26, 1978, pp. A1- A2.
  28. “VGH Nurses Speak Out”, Kinesis, July-August 1978, p. 4.
  29. Two photographs