Ontario Nurses for the Environment Interest Group (ONEIG) proudly drives political action on key environmental health issues, including: water protection, environmental justice and climate action.
In 2020-21, ONEIG collaborated with community experts, including Environmental Defence, the Canadian Environmental Law Association and Just Food to offer relevant and timely webinars on topics such as: Indigenous relationship to water; the Walkerton Inquiry legacy; tackling plastics pollution during COVID-19; and rescuing and redistributing nutritious food. Providing an entry point to nurses with a range of interests and experiences in environmental health, ONEIG prides itself on fostering a culture of collaboration and transparency, offering open leadership meetings and making governance documents available to all members. ONEIG is actively involved in water policy development and members regularly engage in legislative processes, including responding to Ontario’s 2020 budget measures and environmental registry of Ontario postings.
The Interest Group of the Year award is given to an RNAO interest group that best demonstrates commitment to the nursing profession and active participation in RNAO initiatives. The interest group effectively communicates through a variety of means, which influences decision-makers and mobilizes RNs, NPs and nursing students for action. This interest group exhibits exemplary teamwork and strong leadership within the nursing and health-care community.
