RNAO’s ongoing media profile: Your February 2025 report
Throughout this month, RNAO’s president and CEO were featured in media stories related to the provincial election, the ongoing nursing shortage and reflections on the fifth anniversary since the start of COVID-19 pandemic.
On Feb. 4, RNAO published its provincial election platform calling on Ontarians to place nursing, health and the underlying determinants of ill health at the top of the political agenda during the campaign. “Five years after the start of the pandemic, nursing is still in crisis, and Ontario’s health system is at a breaking point,” said RNAO President NP Lhamo Dolkar in a media release (Feb. 4). RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun told Hamilton Spectator (Feb. 10) that Ontarians need to “ask tough questions, demand action and challenge candidates to commit to strengthening health care and building a just society. We seek real progress that improves health and well-being for all. That’s what this election must be about.”
The nursing shortage also came up during the election campaign after the Liberal party offered $150,000 to Ontario nurses and doctors who stop working in the U.S. and instead remain in the province. On CBC Radio (Feb. 6), Dolkar said that many nurses choose to cross the border because they are looking for competitive compensation. “The compensation package is lucrative, so nurses do flock to the south of the border. I do think the problem is much deeper than money alone. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.” She said that nursing shortage is a chronic problem. Nurses are retiring and new nurses are coming but get burnt out and leave the profession. Dolkar also notes that nurses need healthy workloads and competitive competition to retain these workers in Ontario. Nursing retention and recruitment was also highlighted as a key issue in RNAO’s provincial election platform. RNAO will continue to work with elected officials on taking necessary action.
In January 2020, the first COVID-19 case was reported in Ontario. To mark five years since then, Dolkar joined CBC’s (Feb. 19) panel discussion about what it was like for nurses who worked during the pandemic. “It was a tumultuous time for nurses because you were doing things that weren’t in your comfort space and it was a lot of stress while we were nursing,” said Dolkar. She also noted that the pandemic highlighted the already existing nursing shortage. To address this, Dolkar said “it’s not only about band-aid solutions; it’s about looking at why nurses are leaving.”
RNAO continues to speak out alongside its members on topics related to nursing and health. Stay up to date on media coverage by visiting RNAO in the news. If you’re interested in speaking with reporters on issues related to nursing, health and health care, complete a short survey.
