Madison Scaini

As RNAO’s first practising nurse practitioner (NP) president, Lhamo Dolkar recalls what RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun once said to her: “There is always a right president at the right time.” At this juncture, and with the current challenges facing NPs and the broader health system, Dolkar believes it’s the right time for her RNAO ...

Since coming to Canada in 1971 from a small village in western Kenya, 79-year-old RN Beatrice Osome has never wavered from her desire to help children in her own and other African villages have access to clean water. She remembers walking two or three kilometres under the sweltering sun to fetch contaminated water from a river. ...

For the past 11 years, RN Arpita Patel has been providing care to students on campus at Toronto’s Humber College. She’s alleviating barriers so they can stay focused on what matters most: their studies. Under a medical directive, Patel and the other RNs in Humber’s health clinic can provide immunizations for the more than 6,000 ...

Expanding evidence-based practice to countries around the world didn’t happen overnight. It required a combination of time, serendipity, relationship building and planned change (also known as purposeful evolution), according to Dr. Irmajean Bajnok, former director of the International Affairs and Best Practice Guidelines (IABPG...

Imagine you’ve applied to work at a long-term care (LTC) home and have been invited for an in-person interview. You enter the home – excited and nervous. As you enter the building, you see a big sign: Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO). Do you smile knowing what this means and feel confident? Or do you become more nervo...

After three consecutive virtual AGM celebrations due to COVID-19, this year’s annual gathering allowed members to once again come together at Toronto’s Hilton hotel. The event was full of electrifying energy, important conversations and inspiring calls to action. Change Through Unity and Action was the theme, as members share...

Nursing Week is an opportunity to shift the focus from patients onto nurses to recognize and honour our knowledge, compassion and dedication. RNAO celebrated Nursing Week 2023 (May 8 – 14) with a variety of engaging and vibrant virtual events focused on the interests of nurses across all settings and sectors. With an overarch...

At any given moment, nurses can connect to important conversations, mobilize change in our profession and health care, and influence decision-makers. This is where the power of social media – namely, Twitter – plays an important role. The September/October 2015 RNJ issue featured a story about how nurses are using social media, ...

For more than 20 years, London-based RN Aaron Clark has dedicated himself to helping people struggling with mental illness and addiction, but lately he’s felt a sense of hopelessness. He sees too many people falling through the cracks of Ontario’s health system, even though he’s trying his best to keep people alive while advocat...

When 25-year-old RN Michaela Parenteau paused her work with Pikangikum First Nation to volunteer with Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT) in Ukraine, she didn’t know what to expect. Being stationed along the Ukraine-Poland border in a shipping container that was transformed into a fully operational primary care clinic, Pare...