In Aesop’s fable about the tortoise and the hare perseverance wins. Steady determination can be an effective force. RNAO has that kind of determination and is pleased to see results.

You may know that for a long time, RNAO has encouraged nurses to run for election at all levels of government, ensuring our voices are being heard in the political landscape. For the first time, nine RNs ran in the 2022 provincial election across all party lines. It was a feat to be celebrated and RNAO applauded it, as in the past only a maximum of five nurses have run.

RNAO wholeheartedly supports its members and those choosing to run for political office.

That nine RNs ran is a tremendous increase in interest and represents how nurses with assistance from RNAO are leading change. For years, the association has been helping nurses run for office. In 2002, RNAO hosted its first RN Candidate Training Program that prepared RNs and NPs for politics by providing them with tips on how to run a campaign, form a strong team, deliver effective speeches and media interviews, as well as excel in making compelling pitches on the campaign trail to attract voters, volunteers and donations – all needed in order to win an election. RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun said at the time “We’re committed to changing the composition of the legislative assembly so political and legislative decision-making can benefit from the knowledge and experience of RNs and NPs.” With that goal in mind, RNAO pushed forward and will keep pushing forward.

RNAO Member Ameek Singh ran for Brampton Regional Councilor for Ward 3 and 4 and, although he didn’t win, he received an impressive 1,951 votes.

A year after that training session, RNAO’s board of directors approved a policy that would ensure RNs, NPs and nursing students who are RNAO members could look to their professional association for support. The policy allows RNAO to reach out to members to inform them of RNs, NPs, and nursing students running for election.   

In April 2015, RNAO released Taking Action: A toolkit for becoming politically involved, which further helped nurses with strategies for building alliances, becoming politically active and working with the media. The toolkit helps nurses think about the issues that are important to them and how to spread awareness of their message. It augments RNAO’s three signature policy events targeting MPPs: Take Your MPP To Work established in 2000 (occurring during Nursing Week), Queen’s Park on the Road established in 2013 (occurring during the fall) and Queen’s Park Day established in 2000 (occurring in February/March). These events continue to be staples for RNAO members – especially for the assembly of leaders – allowing them to be politically active. Student placements at these three events, as well as chapter/region/interest group executive positions like the policy and political action executive network officer, which was created in 2000, has propelled leadership roles of nurses to influence policy through political activation. RNAO is laser focused on ensuring that members – RN, NPs and nursing students – meet with MPPs to advance advocacy on priority issues for RNAO, which opens a window for them to get a first-hand view at what the duties of holding political office look like.

During this year’s Nursing Week, RNAO hosted a webinar to meet the RN and NP election candidates running in the 2022 provincial election so members could engage with them about why they chose to run for office. The webinar Celebrating Politics as a Career Choice in Nursing with RN and NP Candidates helped share each nurse’s story and how they got started.

If you are interested in running in an upcoming election, please reach out to RNAO’s CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun at dgrinspun@RNAO.ca and Policy Director Matthew Kellway at mkellway@RNAO.ca.

Below are the candidates and their opinions on running in politics.