Nursing Week, the release of our Nursing Through Crisis: A Comparative Perspective report and our provincial election platform was featured in RNAO's media interviews during the month of May.

RNAO marked Nursing Week (May 9 – 15) with a variety of virtual events, including the third annual Nursing Now Ontario Awards held on May 12. In partnership with the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) and the Registered Practical Nurses Association (WeRPN), the Nursing Now Ontario Awards celebrates all nurses and recognizes one RN, NP and RPN each year. The RN winner this year was Marisa Bannavong and Becki Lee won the RPN category. NP winner Guangxia Meng was featured in NewmarketToday (May 13) and said, “Nurses are really the heroes of the past two years. Not only the two years, even in the past”. In the same story, RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun said that “nurses in all roles, sectors and settings have selflessly put their lives on hold to unwaveringly share their expertise, knowledge and compassion with Ontarians each and every day…You make nursing shine.” 

Another important Nursing Week event that garnered a lot of media attention was the release of the Nursing Through Crisis: A Comparative Perspective report. This landmark report highlights the instability in the nursing profession that, if left unchecked, will have profound impacts on the profession, the functioning of the health system and the quality of care patients receive. In RNAO’s media release (May 12), Grinspun said that “without a detailed health human resources plan that is laser-focused on retaining nurses in the profession and building Ontario’s RN workforce, people’s health and the system’s ability to operate effectively are in danger.” RNAO President Morgan Hoffarth told Global News (May 12) that nurses play a central role in the health-care system: “We know nurses are committed and have vital expertise, compassion and skills to share.” On CP24 (May 12), Grinspun reiterated that not having enough nurses to provide adequate care will ultimately impact patients. “Patients need to know that if they don’t have nursing care, they cannot be in good health,” said Grinspun. On AM800 (May 13), Hoffarth shared the report’s recommendations include immediately increasing the RN workforce, expediting internationally educated nurses’ (IEN) applications and repealing Bill 124, legislation that caps nurses’ wage increases at one per cent. Learn more about the report, its findings and recommendations on RNAO’s Nurses’ health and wellbeing In Focus web page. For more information about all of the Nursing Week events, explore RNAO’s Nursing Week portal.

RNAO continues to speak in the media about the upcoming June 2 provincial election, with a focus on nurses’ asks of the next government outlined in its provincial election platform, titled Ontario’s health system: Your health, your health system. In a CityNews (May 4) story, Grinspun said the next government must tackle the nursing crisis. Grinspun calls for the repeal of Bill 124, saying “we need it to end now so we can retain people in the workplace.”  She also highlighted the need to get IENs into the workforce, indicating there are approximately 26,000 IENs currently residing in Ontario but only 1,000 to 2,500 have had their applications processed during the last year. On NewsTalk 1010 (May 24), Grinspun said “it can’t be that these (IENs) are waiting years and years to have their registration process.” However, Grinspun noted that it is heartening to see more nurses joining the election as local candidates in ridings across the province to impact healthy public policy. “We need to be in the legislature and in politics in general,” said Grinspun in an Ottawa Sun (May 12) story. RNAO encourages all Ontarians to read its provincial platform and cast a vote in the election. 

RNAO’s media outreach this month resulted in 252 media hits. We will continue to speak out for our members and Ontarians. To see all of RNAO’s COVID-19 related media coverage, visit the COVID-19 Press Room.