TORONTO, Oct. 27, 2006 – With less than a year to go before the next provincial election, a group of RNs is interested in changing the political landscape at Queen’s Park by electing more nurses to public office.

To achieve that goal, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is launching an RN Candidate Training Course to help prepare nurses in their bid. The first workshop begins this weekend in Toronto with a dozen registered nurses of all political backgrounds signed up for six days of training by political experts.

“Nurses have a tremendous amount to contribute to the province’s and the country’s most pressing policy issues. The public respects and connects with nurses, who see where government policy intersects with people’s lives,” says RNAO president Mary Ferguson-Paré.

RNAO executive director Doris Grinspun says nurses already help shape health-care policies, but “we want them to have even more influence -- in party caucuses and on the floor of the legislature. I know our members have what it takes to succeed in politics.”

The RN Candidate Training Course is designed to help nurses gain the skills they need for political life. Spread over three weekends during the fall and featuring experts from the Liberals, the Conservatives, and the New Democrats, the program will provide practical hands-on advice for nurses interested in running for office.

Workshops include:

• Why women should run for office
• Getting nominated 
• Building the campaign team 
• Fundraising
• Media training
  

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses wherever they practise in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has lobbied for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses’ contribution to shaping the health-care system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public they serve.