RNAO’s ongoing media profile: Your November 2025 report

As mentioned in last month’s media report, RNAO has spoken out about the closure of the only overnight emergency homeless shelter in Brockville. RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun wrote a letter to the editor where she calls for this decision to be reversed. “Temperatures are already dropping, and the cold months of winter are not far off. Why are those closest to the ground being forced to defend the need for their emergency shelter?” (Brockville Recorder & Times, Nov. 1) At a meeting on Nov. 5, funding for the shelter was extended to March 31, 2026. However, as of Nov. 20 the local council of counties have reversed this decision, with the shelter again set to close on Dec. 31, 2025. RNAO is continuing to pressure to keep the shelter open.

The Ontario government cut funding for the CTS site at Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre in Toronto, forcing the site to close on Nov. 22. In an opinion piece published in the Toronto Star (Nov. 19), RNAO President NP Lhamo Dolkar and CEO Dr. Grinspun write that CTS sites are desperately needed in the province. They note that when other sites were forced to close, “demand for the Parkdale site rose by 63 per cent.” They also highlight that “CTS and supervised consumption services sites serve some of the most marginalized people in our society and are vital gateways to primary care, mental-health supports, and housing connections — delivered in safe, judgement-free settings where nurses and other health-care professionals can build trust and provide evidence-based care.” Sign our Action Alert to call on Premier Ford to withdraw his plan to close CTS and SCS sites. 

RNAO’s annual Fall Tour continued into November. During a visit to Confederation College in Thunder Bay on Oct. 27, Grinspun had the opportunity to watch nursing students in a lab simulation. “(It’s) inspiring to see the students putting it into practice, even for a short time now, with some scenarios (it’s) also incredible to see the simulation lab working full tilt; it’s really good,” Grinspun said (NWONewsWatch, Nov. 16).  Grinspun met with Algoma nurses during a virtual visit on Nov. 5. One of the issues discussed during the visit was the retention of nurses in Northern Ontario. Grinspun says that if we want to keep nurses in this region, we need to pay them well. “If we want (nurses) to go to long-term care, which is a fantastic sector to work in, or home care or primary care, which is in dire need of nurses, nurse practitioners, etc., how about some incentives,” (The Sault Star, Nov. 21).  

A freedom of information request by The Trillium (Nov. 26) found a wide disparity of hours of direct care between long-term care homes. Some had barely an hour per day per resident while others exceeded the government’s recommended four hours of direct hands-on-care. When asked what does it mean having one hour of care - Grinspun responded: “It means you’re not getting the care you need — that’s the bottom line. It means we will see more pressure injuries (known as bedsores), more falls, more use of restraints — physical restraints or chemical restraints, as in medications — because they don’t have the staffing to engage with residents.” 

Grey County’s three long-term care homes have reached the halfway point in their three-year initiative to implement RNAO’s best practice guidelines (BPG) and Clinical Pathways. "Clinical Pathways reflects Grey County’s commitment to continuous improvement and excellence in care," said clinical specialist Denna Leach (South Grey News, Nov. 3). "By embedding best practices into daily routines, we are creating a more consistent and supportive environment for residents and their families.”  

RNAO and its members will continue to speak out on topics related to nursing, health, and health care. Visit RNAO in the news to stay up to date on media coverage.  

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