On May 12, 2022, RNAO held a media conference to release Nursing Through Crisis: A Comparative Perspective. Florence Nightingale’s 202nd birth anniversary was chosen as the release date for this landmark report because Nursing Through Crisis announced crucial findings: the health of all Ontarians depends on creating a sustainable future for Ontario nurses. 

So, what did nurses say about the nursing crisis and what were their concerns? The report stated that nurses need more opportunities to be involved in organizational decision making; they need more available supports and mentors; they need safer workplaces; they want to see more visible nursing leadership; and they want more control over their roles so their voices will be heard.

Because first-level leaders in managerial roles in all sectors are critical to powering effective nursing teams at the unit level, help is needed now to cultivate tomorrow’s leaders. 

RNAO has heard you and has delivered: the Leadership and Management for Nurses program was launched in September 2022.

What does it do?

RNAO has long known that building healthy work environments for Ontario nurses is central to quality patient care. For example, in 2013 RNAO released a second edition of its best practice guideline Developing and Sustaining Nursing Leadership. 

The Leadership and Management for Nurses program builds on those efforts with an even more comprehensive program to give nurses who are current leaders or who aspire to leadership roles a true leg up. It provides key insights that those RNs and NPs would not have had otherwise and hones their abilities to achieve measurable progress. 

The program enhances key knowledge and skills necessary for success in enabling goal achievement, supporting shared decision making and creating healthy work environments.

It takes leadership development to the next level with a multi-faceted approach including: 

• an eLearning portal with workbook 
• plenary sessions with core leadership content
• sector-specific presentations
• small group case study discussion and application
• mentorship opportunities 
• support with a leadership project

Who is eligible?

RNs and NPs in Ontario employed in public health, primary care, hospitals, home and community care, and long-term care (LTC) can apply.

Program participants must have the support of their health-care organizations through their direct supervisor, as they will need two full days a month over the four-month period of the course to attend sessions. Participants will be asked to prepare for monthly sessions by completing advance reading and activities, completing self-reflection exercises on content learned and post-session exercises, and applying content in their day-to-day work. With this program, RNAO will nurture the precise skillsets that nurse managers need to be more effective leaders.

Back by popular demand

RNAO's Leadership and Management for Nurses program resumed on March 22, 2023. The second cohort of the program specifically targets new and aspiring nurse leaders and managers in public health, primary care, hospitals, home and community care, as well as LTC.

Participants are given the opportunity to interact and network with peers and experts. Just like the first cohort participants they, too, have access to the latest leadership and management theory, as well as opportunities to apply content to sector-specific case studies in small group sessions. All participants also have access to an experienced mentor.

In a sign of the program’s success: More than 90 per cent of recent graduates rated the program as highly related to content, methodology and impact on leadership behaviours and competence. 

Participants' comments* include the following: “Prior to this program, I struggled with knowing how to empower staff to support decisions and to provide feedback. I feel that this program provided me with the confidence to do so now, and I'm already seeing the impact of this in my work. My expectations were exceeded with this program. I was impressed by what I was able to take away from it.”

*Note: Evaluation data from this program are kept confidential to ensure that participant responses are honest. Program feedback data are also kept confidential in accordance with RNAO’s privacy policy.