Nurses felt the love during Nursing Week 2023, thanks in part to the #HeyNurse social media campaign launched by RNAO in partnership with several other nursing organizations. The campaign generated 1,000 instances of engagement on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, and more than 519 Canadians thanked a nurse by using the hashtag #HeyNurse. 

The campaign recognized nurses in all roles and sectors by providing an avenue for the public to share messages, photos and videos using the hashtag. It also generated 16 media stories from outlets across the country, such as Global News, Wellington Advertiser, OMNI and Rogers TV.

“Encouragement is so important in the times that we’re living in now, particularly with nurses doing so much,” RNAO President Dr. Claudette Holloway told AM800 radio about the campaign. Whether working on the frontline, in research, administration, education or policy, Holloway noted that nurses want to be acknowledged for “…making (health care) the best it can be here in Ontario and across our country.” 

In addition to RNAO, the nursing organizations behind the #HeyNurse campaign include the Alberta Association of Nurses (AAN), the Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba (ARNM), the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of British Columbia (NNPBC), and the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario (WeRPN).

Here are some examples of messages the public shared on Facebook, Instagram and X. To see all of the campaign messages, visit HeyNurse.ca.