RNAO's 95th AGM and related activities

RNAO’s 95th AGM is going virtual - June 11-13, 2020

In light of COVID-19 and the need for physical distancing, RNAO’s 95th Annual General Meeting will be held virtually. Join us on June 11-13, 2020 as we continue to celebrate the Year of the Nurse and the incredible efforts of registered nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students throughout the year and particularly RNAO's and nurses' formidable role during the pandemic.

One member, one vote: Make your voice heard – Voting is open from May 26 at noon and closes on June 11 at noon (ET)

RNAO members play a central role in deciding governance issues that affect the current and future direction of RNAO. One member, one vote is how you can make your voice heard.

Invite your colleagues to join RNAO for only $50

Tell your colleagues to join RNAO for only $50+tax – inclusive of professional liability protection (PLP). For a limited time only, they can join RNAO at a discounted rate and see for themselves why an RNAO membership is a must have.

Learn more about RNAO's Legal Assistance Program

Looking for extra protection? Check out our Legal Assistance Program (LAP).

LAP complements professional liability protection (PLP) (included in your membership) and provides protection against CNO complaints, workplace related issues and more.

Make sure to include your CNO number as part of your new grad memberships

Did you have your membership upgraded to new grad recently?

Don’t forget to send in your College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) number so that your professional liability protection (PLP) becomes active. The CNO requires all practising nurses to have at least $2 million in PLP coverage. RNAO provides you with coverage of up to $10 million.

Read the latest issue of RNJ online

The latest issue of RNJ.RNAO.ca is out. Have a look at the work RNs are doing to raise awareness among youth about vaping. A feature profile of RN Nataly Farshait who is leading the charge to ensure best practice is the easiest practice to follow and a personal story from an RN about how she handles death in her practice. Read about our president and CEO visits with members during the Fall Tour, and our CEO’s Conversation with members which focuses on COVID-19.

Find your next nursing job on RNCareers.ca

Looking for a nursing job? Need to post a nursing job? Visit RNCareers.ca, the official career site of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO).

RNAO goes virtual to celebrate nurses' successes and challenges during Nursing Week - May 11 to 17

During a time when nurses are working tirelessly and selflessly through this COVID-19 pandemic, RNAO thanks each of you for keeping people healthy and caring for them when they are sick or dying. Your commitment to Ontarians is formidable in all you do!

RNAO releases groundbreaking report, ECCO 3.0

Building robust community care and anchoring our health system in primary care are important priorities that we must think about ahead of a potential second or third wave of COVID-19.

That’s why on May 12, RNAO president Angela Cooper Brathwaite, president-elect Morgan Hoffarth and CEO Doris Grinspun released RNAO’s groundbreaking report Enhancing Community Care for Ontario (ECCO 3.0) in a virtual media conference via Zoom.

Action Alert: A Recovery for All Includes Housing for All

With devastating cruelty, COVID-19 has exposed gaping faults in the society and economy we have created for ourselves. Among those faults is homelessness. RNAO endorses the “Recovery For All” campaign by the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. We urge you to do the same.

Participate in Take Your MPP to Work – LIVE #TogetherWeCanDoIt

During Nursing Week, RNAO launched its annual Take Your MPP to Work (TYMTW) Live political action event.

This year, we felt it was important to continue this event even though health organizations are dealing with COVID-19. This spring is different from others as RNAO is moving forward with a virtual delivery of TYMTW to offer a unique experience for politicians – MPPs – to better understand the depth of nursing practice challenges while caring for patients and communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bringing income security to low-income Ontarians

In an effort to ensure no one is left behind, RNAO joined more than 100 organizations calling on the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, Todd Smith, to implement changes that will help low-income Ontarians.

New BPG released

RNAO is pleased to announce the release of the best practice guideline (BPG) Oral health: Supporting adults who require assistance, Second Edition. This BPG is the new edition of the 2008 BPG, Oral health: Nursing assessment and intervention.

The updated BPG provides nurses, the interprofessional team and caregivers with evidence-based recommendations for the provision of oral care for adults (18 years of age and older).

RNAO/ CAMH webinar needs assessment survey: We Need Your Input

RNAO’s Mental Health and Addiction Initiative, in collaboration with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Provincial System Support Program, is delivering another virtual knowledge exchange webinar series to support nurses and other health-care professionals across sectors working with clients and communities who have an interest in cannabis.

Your opinion matters to us: survey for health-care providers in mental health

RNAO is committed to enhancing evidence-based care and services related to mental health, mental illness and substance use across all settings in Ontario.

COVID-19 Webinar: Together We Can Do It

Weekly webinars on Monday

Join us for weekly virtual town hall meetings to hear the latest news and pressing issues on COVID-19.

Best Practice Champions Workshop (Level 1) - Virtual Learning Series June 2020

June 17, 2020, webinar

Understand how to implement RNAO’s best practice guidelines using the Toolkit: Implementation of Best Practice Guidelines, Second Edition.

A Conversation About Engaging Persons/Families/Communities in the Implementation of Best Practices

June 18, 2020, webinar

Learn effective strategies for engagement and discuss the common barriers of engagement.

RNAO COVID-19 portal

RNAO has created a user-friendly COVID-19 portal for you to find important and useful information. It includes our earlier update reports and RNAO CEO Doris Grinspun’s blog, Webinars, tools for LTC, an action plan for First Nation Communities, and more.

RNAO saddened by the loss RN Brian Beattie to COVID-19

RNAO joins its nursing colleagues and the entire health-care community in mourning the death of RN Brian Beattie. Brian, who was 55-years-old, was an expert mental health nurse who worked at London's Kensington Village.

Join RNAO’s support groups on Facebook

RNAO recognizes the challenges health-care professionals and their families are going through during this time. To provide you with support, RNAO has established three Facebook Groups open to members and the public

RNAO welcomes government’s announcement on May 19 to address systemic shortfalls in long-term care post-COVID

In response to the impact COVID-19 is having on Ontario’s long-term care homes, the provincial government is launching an independent commission beginning in July 2020.

RNAO responds to Canadian Armed Forces report on long-term care, released on May 26

A Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) report released on May 26 outlines serious and horrifying concerns around infection prevention, safety, staffing and level of care in five long-term care homes at which the military has been assisting. Four of the five were for-profit facilities.

COVID-19 VIANurse Program focuses its efforts on outbreaks

As of Tuesday, May 19, 2020, RNAO’s VIANurse Program moved to provide staffing assistance only to health facilities with active COVID-19 outbreaks. Health organizations – in all sectors – not facing a COVID-19 outbreak, but looking to fulfill their ongoing staffing needs in nursing and other health professions, are asked to advertise as always on RNAO’s job board, RNCareers.ca.

RNAO partners with Toronto Public Health partners to scale up local COVID-19 response

In ongoing efforts to reduce COVID-19 spread, RNAO has partnered with Toronto Public Health (TPH) to hire more local RNs to support case and contact management efforts and support public health work as Toronto move towards the COVID-19 recovery stage.

Supporting NPs in LTC

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on all health-care sectors, however, long-term care (LTC) homes and their residents have been affected particularly hard.

Currently, there are 150 outbreaks in long-term care homes across Ontario and there are 1,855 active resident cases and 1,355 active staff cases related to COVID-19.

Join the #TogetherWeCanDoit campaign

RNAO began the #TogetherWeCanDoIt campaign on March 19, 2020 and it’s growing stronger and louder, spreading all over Ontario, Canada and even abroad!

Each evening, the #Cheer4HealthWorkers initiative calls on everyone – from the doorsteps of their homes, back decks, balconies or windows – to cheer at 7:30 p.m. local time for the millions of health providers, social services and other essential frontline workers in Ontario, Canada and around the world engaged in the fight against this virus.

Nursing Now webinars on COVID-19

2020 is the Year of the Nurse and nurses around the globe are fighting COVID-19 with knowledge, compassion and courage. To recognize their efforts and discuss the role RNAO has been playing in supporting nurses around the world, RNAO participated in two webinars in April, hosted by Nursing Now.

Nursing Now Ontario award recipients recognized

Celebrating the contributions made by nurses to nursing practice, the health of Ontarians and our health-care system, RNAO, the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) and the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario (WeRPN) recognized one NP, RN and RPN during Nursing Week 2020 (May 11-17) as part of the inaugural Nursing Now Ontario Awards.