On this page: Our journey | Members leading change | RNAO's partnerships and engagements | RNAO policy | Capacity building | RNAO media 

Our journey: Long-Term Care Best Practices Program and RNAO

Caring for Ontario’s seniors is one of the most important responsibilities we have as individuals, as a community and as a province.

Long-term care (LTC) residents are older, frailer and need more hours of safe, high-quality care delivered by an appropriate mix of nurse practitioners (NP), registered nurses (RN), registered practical nurses (RPN) and personal support workers (PSW).

RNAO's LTC Best Practices Program sets the gold standard for resident care in the province. RNAO’s team of experienced LTC best practice coordinators are available to help improve the knowledge, skills and practices of the dedicated staff and management in Ontario LTC homes.
 
Guided implementation of RNAO’s foundational, clinical and healthy work environment best practice guidelines is helping to improve care, quality of life and health outcomes for Ontario’s most vulnerable seniors.

"LTC is my area of passion. I joined the LTC sector during, and because of, the pandemic - I wanted to help as much as I could. We must look for the silver lining from the storms of COVID-19 to improve LTC for residents, their families and staff."

Morgan Hoffarth, Immediate RNAO Past-President

RNAO's Long-Term Care Best Practices Program

RNAO's long-term care provincial survey results coming soon

Members leading change

RNAO is committed to working with its partners to improve the sector, provincially and nationally. Through collaboration, RNAO can provide evidence-based recommendations to governments and organizations on what is needed to support LTC residents and staff. 

LTC NP Council

Image
Nurse practitioner long term care

RNAO’s LTC NP Council is an important forum for NPs working in LTC to discuss clinical, operational and policy-related issues in LTC. The LTC NP Council webinars provide an opportunity to build networks, exchange knowledge and inform RNAO’s advocacy work related to NPs and the LTC sector.

LEARN MORE   JOIN NOW

Gerontological Nursing Association of Ontario (GNAO) 

Image
Gerontological Nursing Association of Ontario (GNAO)

The Gerontological Nursing Association of Ontario (GNAO) promotes professionalism in gerontological nursing and serves a membership of more than 1,800 nurses and associates with 11 chapters throughout Ontario. Educational events and activities help to enhance gerontological knowledge and practice. GNAO advocates for high standards of nursing care and health services for older adults.

Professional advocacy

To view letters, videos and media releases related to the GNAO’s advocacy work, visit GNAO’s website

Members mobilizing change

RNAO resolutions

Members can make their voices heard and help mobilize change by submitting resolutions to the association for consideration.

LTC resolution

At RNAO’s 2021 AGM, resolution 18 was passed, which calls for mandatory BScN student placements in LTC homes.

Image
RNAO resolutions

RNAO’s partnerships and engagements

Image
BPSO logo

Long-Term Care Best Practice Spotlight Organizations®

RNAO is requesting proposals from interested and eligible long-term care (LTC) homes located in Ontario, to work in collaboration with the RNAO in implementing and evaluating multiple clinical nursing best practice guidelines (BPG), and disseminating knowledge from their experiences and outcomes with guideline implementation. If you're interested in becoming a BPSO, connect with a LTC Best Practice Coordinator near you.

Click here to learn more.

RNAO's Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO) program


 Meet RNAO’s BPSO designates

Become a LTC BPSO

LEARN MORE

Image
BPG Clinical Pathways banner

RNAO Clinical Pathways

In partnership with PointClickCare (PCC), RNAO has launched a province-wide initiative to support the implementation of RNAO Clinical Pathways by LTC homes. These digitized versions of the BPGs have been embedded within PCC’s new Nursing Advantage Canada technology to facilitate access at the point of care.

Learn more

Image
Advantage Ontario

AdvantAge Ontario

AdvantAge Ontario is an association of community-based not-for-profit LTC homes, and housing and services for seniors. This association focuses on advocacy, and education to expand knowledge and building leadership capacity.

Learn more

Image
OLTCA

Ontario Long Term Care Association

The Ontario Long Term Care Association offers several events to members from private, municipal, charitable and not-for-profit long-term care homes and retirement homes in Ontario such as ‘This is Long Term Care’ and their annual convention: Together We Care. Many of RNAO’s LTC BPSOs have published in OLTCAs Long Term Care Today magazine.

Learn more

Image
vianurse

VIANurse

In response to health sector staffing needs at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, over a three-month period between March and May 2020, RNAO’s VIANurse program mobilized RNs, NPs and nursing students to 316 organizations in various sectors, including 241 LTC homes in Ontario.

Learn more

RNAO policy 

Click here to learn more about RNAO's policy and political action on long-term care issues

Capacity building

Professional development

RNAO Advanced Clinical Practice Fellowships

The Advanced Clinical Practice Fellowship (ACPF) is a self-directed learning experience for RNs and NPs. With mentor support, fellows develop clinical and leadership skills. They also learn how to successfully implement best practice guidelines. 

Read more

Nursing Student and Preceptor Long-Term Care program 

This is a web-based repository of resources to support students and preceptors engage in nursing student placements.

Read more

Toolkits

Image
LCT Mockup Horizontal copy

Leading Change Toolkit™

The Leading Change Toolkit is a revolutionary resource to engage health providers to make lasting change in their practice.

LEARN MORE

Image
LTC Toolkit.

LTC Best Practices Toolkit

RNAO’s LTC Best Practices Toolkit offers health-care providers, educators and leaders with evidence-based resources and tools.  The toolkit supports BPG implementation and program development. 

LEARN MORE

Preventing and Addressing Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults 

This e-learning course includes four modules, various learning activities (e.g. resources and reflection activities) a Knowledge Check and Supplementary Resources. Module 1, Understanding Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults, is designed to educate everyone involved in the delivery of care to older adults. Modules 2, Working with Older Adults and Their Families, Module 3, Identifying and Responding to Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults, and Module 4, Addressing Challenges Involved in Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults are designed for nurses, other health-care providers and their supervisors. This e-learning is available in English and French.

REGISTER NOW

LTC NP Council Webinars

RNAO holds monthly webinars to support NPs working in LTC. NP LTC Council co-chairs provide regular updates. Clinical, operational and policy-related issues are discussed. Best practices are shared and peer-to-peer support is provided. 

REGISTER NOW

Program impact

Image
Evidence booster

The impact of implementing Assessment and Management of Pain BPG

Published: October 2022

Watford Quality Care Centre (WQCC) is a Long-Term Care home in Watford, Ontario. The LTC home implemented RNAO's Assessment and Management of Pain (Third Edition, 2013) BPG across their organization to address the gap in pain management and to reduce incidences of severe pain among their residents. The BPG implementation strategies focused on interprofessional and intersectoral collaboration, as well as early recognition and interventions for pain. 

Read more

Image
Evidence booster

The impact of the implementation of Assessment and Management of Pain BPG 

Published: July 2022

Villa Colombo Toronto is a Long-Term Care (LTC) Best Practice Spotlight Organization® (BPSO®) serving seniors for over 45 years and is highly regarded for the provision of culturally appropriate LTC and community services. The home has implemented RNAO’s Assessment and Management of Pain (2013) BPG in a systemic organization-wide approach to assist health-care providers to use the best available evidence when assessing and managing pain in their practice and improving the quality of care for residents.

Read more

Image
Evidence booster

Implementing best practice guideline to reduce falls-related injuries in older adults

Published: February 2022

Braemar Retirement Centre provides quality care to LTC residents in Wingham Ontario and its surrounding communities for over 38 years. Braemar is currently implementing RNAO’s best practice guideline, Preventing Falls and Reducing Injury from Falls (2017) to foster a supportive environment to prevent falls and allow residents to live to their fullest potential.

Read more


RNAO media

Image
Best practices in long-term care

RNAO LTC newsletter 

The RNAO LTC newsletter is a salute to all those working in LTC who are improving resident care and their quality of life, including RNs. RPNs, PSWs, managers, and all other care and support staff.

Read more

RNAO staff leading change

Meet RNAO’s LTC best practice coordinators

RNAO’s team of LTC best practice coordinators promote and support the use of evidence-based best practices. They work with LTC management and clinical staff to identify practice gaps, develop action plans, and make and sustain practice improvements. 

Learn more

Image
LTC map

Region Regional boundaries Email
1 LTC homes in Erie St. Clair and South West  (Delaware, Komoka, Parkhill, Port Stanley, Southwold, St Thomas & Strathroy) LTCregion1@RNAO.ca
2 LTC homes in South West LTCregion2@RNAO.ca
3 LTC homes in Waterloo Wellington and HNHB (Delhi, Dunnville, Hagersville, Paris, Port Dover, & Simcoe) LTCregion3@RNAO.ca
4 LTC homes in Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant LTCregion4@RNAO.ca
5 LTC homes in Central West, South West and HNHB (Beamsville, Chatsworth, Dundas,  Durham, Hanover, Markdale, Meaford, Owen Sound, St. Catherine, Stoney Creek, & Thornbury) LTCregion5@RNAO.ca
6 LTC homes in Mississauga Halton and HNHB (Ancaster, Burlington, Hamilton, & Waterdown) LTCregion6@RNAO.ca
7 LTC homes in Toronto Central and South Scarborough LTCregion7@RNAO.ca
8 LTC homes in Central and North Scarborough LTCregion8@RNAO.ca
9 LTC homes in Central East LTCregion9@RNAO.ca
10 LTC homes in South East LTCregion10@RNAO.ca
11

LTC homes in Champlain

LTCregion11@RNAO.ca
12 LTC homes in North East LTCregion12@RNAO.ca
13 LTC homes in North Simcoe Muskoka and North East LTCregion13@RNAO.ca
14 LTC homes in North West and North East LTCregion14@RNAO.ca


Careers in LTC

From direct resident care to quality improvement, program development and more, the LTC sector offers many opportunities to develop a broad range of skills. Educational opportunities are available to enhance your skills in wound care, falls prevention, palliative and end-of-life care, and many other areas of practice. 

Working collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team, you can help to improve the lives of seniors with complex care needs. There is a high demand for those interested in working in LTC. 

Image
RN Careers

RNCareers

RNAO supports LTC homes in many ways, including through its LTC coordinators and LTC Best Practices Program, as well as by providing staffing assistance through RNCareers. 

RNCareers.ca, RNAO’s official career website, was created to meet the needs of Ontario’s nursing professionals and employers. The website specializes in all levels of nursing including clinical, non-clinical, staff nurse, management, executive and administrative roles. RNCareers hosts positions for NPs, RNs, RPNs, PSWs and other health professionals across all health-care sectors, including LTC.

Employers can visit employers.RNCareers.ca to post positions and attract top quality employees.

Job candidates can create an account on RNCareers and make use of features such as job alerts to be notified of positions posted based on criteria such as employer name or title, and upload their resume/CV to the site’s resume database so that employers can contact them directly.

Read more

Image
Ontario government logo

Ontario government

The Ontario government website provides information about working in the LTC sector, how to become an NP, RN, RPN or PSW, and supports for internationally-educated nurses.

Read more

Send us your feedback

Tell us your experience with this page.

COMPLETE SURVEY