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The Nursing Now Ontario Awards celebrate nurses for their contributions to the nursing profession and health outcomes of Ontarians. Awards are presented to one winner in three categories: nurse practitioner (NP), registered nurse (RN) and registered practical nurse (RPN).
Entries are judged by a volunteer panel of nurses. The three awards were presented during a Nursing Week ceremony on May 15, 2026.
The Nursing Now Ontario Awards leverages and supports the goals of the Nursing Now campaign, a global initiative led by the World Health Organization and the International Council of Nurses, aimed at raising the profile and status of nursing. The campaign calls on governments, health professionals and service users to value nurses and champion their leadership in providing the best quality of care. It's about supporting nurses to lead, to learn and to strengthen the profession, in both clinical practice and political leadership.
Status: Closed
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NP Category
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Michelle Trinh
NP
NP
Michelle Trinh is the NP recipient of the 2026 Nursing Now Ontario Awards. Born and raised in Calgary, Trinh completed a degree in biological sciences before pursuing nursing at the University of Calgary, graduating in 2009. After beginning her career at Toronto General Hospital in multi-organ transplant and nephrology, she pursued graduate studies at the University of Toronto to deepen her involvement in patient-care decision-making.
RN Category
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Valerie Fiset
RN
RN
Valerie Fiset, recipient of the 2026 Nursing Now Ontario Award in the RN category, began her nursing career in the Canadian military after completing her studies at Queen’s University. While caring for military members on a medicine and oncology unit, she developed an early passion for palliative and end-of-life care, a field that would shape much of her professional journey.
RPN Category
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Jamie Toner
RPN
RPN
Jamie Toner is a transformative nursing leader whose career reflects a deep commitment to inclusive, community-based care and meaningful system change. With more than 15 years of experience across long-term care and developmental services, Toner brings a strong foundation in the sector. She spent 15 years at John Noble Home, a municipal long-term care home, where she worked at the point of care and in leadership.
2026 Nursing Now Ontario Awards Ceremony (May 15)
2025 winners
NP Category
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Amy Horton
NP
NP
The NP recipient of the 2025 Nursing Now Ontario Awards is Amy Horton. Since beginning her career in 2002, Horton has worked in various settings, including a fly-in Indigenous community, an HIV clinic, public health and a family health team.
RN Category
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Rodolfo D. Lastimosa Jr.
RN
RN
Rodolfo D. Lastimosa Jr. is the RN recipient for the 2025 Nursing Now Ontario Awards. As an internationally educated nurse (IEN), Lastimosa Jr.’s nursing career started in the Philippines in 2004 where he worked with different populations in various practice settings. He moved to Canada in 2011 and practised as an RPN before receiving his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from York University and becoming an RN in 2022. Since then, Lastimosa Jr.
RPN Category
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Quinn (Luzenia) Uy
RPN
RPN
Quinn (Luzenia) Uy’s nursing journey is rooted in compassion, connection, and a commitment to excellence. She first discovered her passion for caregiving as a Personal Support Worker, where her ability to uplift and support clients—especially older adults—through humour, empathy, and presence revealed the power of therapeutic relationships and inspired her to become a nurse.
