Spotlight on 2024 Excellence in Nursing Advocacy Award Recipient Jag Tak, LPN
Jag Tak, LPN, is a dedicated champion for Licensed Practical Nursing in British Columbia — an educator, leader and advocate whose influence spans classrooms, professional associations and the broader nursing landscape, including helping lay the groundwork for what is now Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC (NNPBC). His work is rooted in a deep belief in the potential and essential value of Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) within BC’s healthcare system.
“Having spent 15 years as an LPN on the front lines, I intimately understood the scope of our capabilities and the direct impact we have on patient care,” says Jag, who was the 2024 recipient of NNPBC’s Excellence in Nursing Advocacy Award.
“However, I also observed a persistent disconnect between our actual contributions and the perception and full utilization of our role within the broader nursing profession and healthcare infrastructure. My 20 years in nursing education further solidified this, as I saw brilliant LPN students eager to contribute but facing systemic limitations. I was driven to advocate for a clearer, more recognized, and expanded role for LPNs, ensuring their skills are fully leveraged to enhance patient outcomes and strengthen our healthcare system.”
Over the years, Jag’s advocacy has significantly advanced understanding of the LPN scope of practice across BC. He has consistently championed the optimal placement of LPNs in communities, including underserved areas, helping strengthen the nursing workforce while opening pathways for advanced skills, leadership opportunities and improved job satisfaction and retention.
His journey has not been without challenges. A central hurdle was shifting long-standing perceptions of nursing roles and positioning LPNs as integral to patient outcomes. Jag addressed this through data-driven advocacy, cross-designation relationship-building and ongoing dialogue. By grounding his efforts in evidence from practice outcomes and models in other jurisdictions, he was able to clearly demonstrate the value LPNs bring to patient care and system sustainability.
Strong relationships across nursing designations, healthcare leadership and regulatory bodies have been a cornerstone of his approach. Through workshops, presentations and one-on-one conversations, he has consistently worked to foster collaboration and encourage a more unified understanding of the LPN role within team-based care.
Jag’s advocacy expanded through his involvement with the Licensed Practical Nurses Association of BC (LPNABC), the BC Coalition of Nursing Associations and later as an originating member of NNPBC. At LPNABC, he served on the Board of Directors, promoting recognition days, championing LPN autonomy and elevating the profession’s contributions to patient care, ensuring LPNs were included in conversations that historically left them on the periphery. His work with the BC Coalition of Nursing Associations brought together leaders from all nursing designations to help build a collaborative foundation for a unified professional voice.
This collective groundwork ultimately supported the creation of NNPBC, a significant milestone in the province’s and Canada’s nursing history as NNPBC became the first unified professional association for nursing in the country.
Within NNPBC, Jag served as both LPN Education Councillor and LPN Council President. In these roles, he helped shape policy priorities, guide Council discussions and strengthen engagement across the LPN community. He was also instrumental in developing the BC Silver Alert service and a comprehensive library of educational and professional development resources for nursing students and practising LPNs — resources that remain widely used today.
Jag’s long-standing presence in the LPN education system reflects a consistent focus on collaboration and mentorship. Drawing on his own experience with unified, cross-sector change, he actively supports emerging nurses in seeing themselves as leaders from the start of their careers. Through education grounded in current knowledge and real-world application, he has helped prepare LPNs to enter the profession with confidence, resilience and a strong commitment to patient care.
“Don’t underestimate your ability to influence positive change within your profession and the broader healthcare system,” Jag advises. “Even small, consistent efforts, when aligned with a clear vision and supported by data and strong relationships, can lead to significant breakthroughs. Find your allies, speak your truth with evidence, and never stop believing in the value you and your colleagues bring to patient care.”
One of the most profound lessons Jag has gained is the power of persistent, collaborative advocacy. He has seen firsthand how collective efforts — grounded in shared goals and mutual respect — can shape policy, clarify practice and create environments where nurses can contribute to their fullest potential. Meaningful progress, he notes, often comes through partnerships that involve strategizing together and presenting a united voice.
He recalls a particularly meaningful moment following a provincial update to LPN practice standards that he and his team helped advance. After the update, he received an email from an LPN who had been considering leaving the profession after feeling undervalued and constrained in her role. With the newly clarified provincial standards outlining her scope, she described a renewed sense of purpose. She was able to take on additional responsibilities in complex wound care and directly enhance patient outcomes. For Jag, the message reinforced the tangible, real-world impact of policy change and advocacy, and served as a powerful reminder that even incremental shifts can empower nurses to practise to their full potential.
