Nursing Career Pathways examines the nursing profession and the opportunities before the government to build nursing careers and fix Ontario’s health system.

This report outlines a number of recommendations geared to retain nurses in the profession and build Ontario’s registered nurse (RN) workforce, such as repealing Bill 124, expediting applications and finding pathways for internationally educated nurses, and more.

In a groundbreaking report, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario’s (RNAO) Black Nurses Task Force (BNTF) unveiled recommendations to tackle structural racism within nursing organizations, regulatory bodies, associations and the broader health system.

RNAO’s Work and Wellbeing Survey Results tells the story of nurses and a nursing workforce under considerable stress and strain as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While all nurses have been affected by the pandemic, how they experience levels of stress and strain are as unique as the nurses themselves as they struggle with job demands and their own life circumstances. 

On Feb. 25, 2021, RNAO released the Nurse Practitioner Task Force report, Vision for Tomorrow. This report features eight recommendations that reflect RNAO’s unwavering advocacy for increased NP supply, utilization and scope. The implementation of these recommendations must begin immediately with co-ordinated action from government, academic, health service and association stakeholders.

Enhancing Community Care for Ontarians (ECCO) 3.0 calls on the government and health system partners to strengthen community care and anchor the health system in primary care to better meet the health needs of all Ontarians. First released in 2012 and next in 2014, ECCO 3.0 aligns with much needed health system transformation that responds to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Ontario's population is aging and its needs are changing. If we're going to keep pace, we can't get tripped up by short-sighted budgetary decisions. We need the right care providers at the right time, and that means reclaiming the role of the registered nurse in the name of patient safety.

In October 2012, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) issued Enhancing Community Care for Ontarians (ECCO) 2.0, a bold model for health system transformation. Subject to significant praise, debate and discussion, this model generated timely and important dialogue on how to make the system more integrated and person‐centred, while ensuring the ongoing sustainability of a publicly‐funded and not‐for‐profit delivery model. 

The ECCO model proposes that interprofessional primary care organizations, such as community health centres (CHC), nurse practitioner-led clinics (NPLC), Aboriginal health access centres (AHAC) and family health teams (FHT) expand their reach and role over the next three years, with the support of a temporary LHIN-led primary care transitional secretariat to organize local geographic primary care networks.

Primary Solutions for Primary Care: Maximizing and Expanding the Role of the Primary Care Nurse in Ontario is a blueprint to maximize and expand the role of primary care nurses, paving the path for other health professionals in Ontario. To benefit the public, we call on government and its agencies, professional associations, trade unions, regulatory bodies, educators, clinicians and employers to embrace and promptly implement the recommendations in this report.