This year – 2025 – RNAO marks 100 years of action and impact with a collective voice of more than 54,400 RNs, NPs and nursing students, and partners around the world who rely on RNAO programs and resources to advance healthy public policy and evidence-based care.
RNAO’s story began in 1901, when a group of Ontario nurses attended an International Council of Nurses’ meeting in Buffalo, New York. This paved the way for alumni of various Ontario nursing schools to establish the Graduate Nurses’ Association of Ontario (GNAO). A forerunner to RNAO, GNAO was mandated to encourage professional development for nurses.
Fast forward to 1925: RNAO was born – and since then has influenced and impacted the landscape of nursing regulation, collective bargaining, education and more in Ontario. RNAO helped with the formation of the College of Nurses of Ontario (1963), the Ontario Nurses’ Association (1973), and the role of nursing assistants (known today as registered practical nurses).
Scroll through this page for a glimpse into RNAO’s rich history.
RNAO’s proud past
Click on each photo for details.
1925 - 1929
In 1925, RNAO was born and the first president was introduced.
1930s
RNAO sets the provincial standards for nursing education and practice.
1940s
RNAO keeps nurses informed and advised following World War II.
1950s
RNAO takes steps towards standardizing education and professional protection of nurses.
1960s
RNAO helps establish the regulatory body for nurses – College of Nurses of Ontario – and supports nurses in collective bargaining.
1970s
RNAO paves the way for the formation of the Ontario Nurses’ Association and introduces interest groups.
1980s
RNAO endorses a minimum educational standard – baccalaureate of nursing – to better establish the profession.
1990s
RNAO launches its Best Practice Guidelines (BPG) program to integrate evidence into nursing practice and helps nursing be recognized as a regulated profession.
2000s
RNAO grows, introducing the Best Practice Spotlight Organization® (BPSO®) and Advanced Clinical Practice Fellowship programs, as well as knowledge-sharing and political advocacy events.
2010s
While the BPSO program expands locally and globally, RNAO introduces the first international quality improvement initiative – Nursing Quality Indicators for Reporting and Evaluation® (NQuIRE®) – and continues to influence government policy.
2020s
RNAO reaches membership milestones to strengthen its collective voice to drive change for nursing and health, supported by groundbreaking report on the challenges facing all areas of the profession.
Leadership through the decades
Past presidents
Executive directors and chief executive officer
RNAO’s rich history of milestones
Special anniversary reports and annual reports
Policy reports
Throughout the decades, RNAO has moved the needle on influencing important government policy changes through its research-informed reports. RNAO members have used the reports’ findings and recommendations to drive advocacy efforts with elected officials and other interested parties. From public health to nursing career pathways and more, RNAO’s policy reports cover an extensive range of issues important to nursing and health.
Strength in numbers
RNAO – a member-driven association – has offered Ontario RNs, NPs and nursing students many benefits since its inception, including advocacy and networking opportunities, legal protection, educational events and more.
Each new member helps to strengthen and amplify RNAO’s collective voice, leading to important changes in nursing, health and health care locally and internationally.
World-renowned programs
Since 1999, RNAO’s Best Practice Guidelines (BPG) Program has been committed to providing nurses and other health professionals with the latest evidence-based recommendations to provide quality care and create healthy work environments. In 2003, RNAO introduced the Best Practice Spotlight Organization® (BPSO®) social movement. The BPSO program supports health organizations and academic institutions in implementing BPGs and evaluating patient and health system outcomes.
RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun is the visionary behind both programs. More than 50 BPGs have been developed to date with more than 1,500 BPSOs throughout Ontario, Canada and around the world.
In Focus
RNAO’s In Focus webpages capture and organize the depth, breadth and richness of what the association does. It strives to present RNAO’s work in a cohesive, integrated and user-friendly way with the following three layers serving as the foundation: health equity, health system transformation and leading change. Each area of focus explores the history or impetus for the work in the area, the role of members leading this work, partnerships, policy and capacity building.
The In Focus topics include:
- Health equity: Black nurses, Indigenous health and 2SLGBTQI+
- Health system transformation: RNs and clinical nurse specialists, NPs, Long-Term Care Best Practices Program, Nurses’ health and wellbeing, and Mental Health and Substance Use Best Practices Program
- Leading change: Leading Change Toolkit
Award-winning publication: RNJ
RNAO’s News Bulletin was first published in 1945. It was renamed several times to RNAO News, RN Journal and Registered Nurse Journal and is now known as RNJ and is a fully digital publication. Over the decades, RNJ – and its predecessors – has provided RNAO members with timely, nursing- and health-related feature stories, profiles, columns, news and more.
Make your mark
Celebrate RNAO’s 100th anniversary by sharing a message and/or photo to the interactive board below. What does RNAO mean to you? What is your favourite memory as an RNAO member? Why are you proud to be an RNAO member? Thanks for celebrating with us!
Social media
Use #RNAO100 on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to join and amplify the conversation about RNAO’s 100th anniversary.
