RN Mark Gravoso (right) and RNAO President NP Lhamo Dolkar (centre) visited CBC Radio’s Fresh Air to mark five years since COVID-19 arrived in Ontario. Gravoso, an internationally educated nurse (IEN), said the pandemic allowed him to enter the workforce quickly. “It opened the door…We (IENs) are thankful and grateful that we were given the chance... to get our license and alleviate the shortages and health-care crisis.”

When the first case was confirmed in Ontario on Jan. 25, 2020, Dolkar was working in acute care. She described it as a tumultuous time: “The conditions, like infection protocols, were changing. It was a lot of stress.” The pandemic highlighted a staffing shortage that existed well before 2020, she pointed out. The shortage “…is a chronic problem. It’s always been there. I think the…pandemic just highlighted the system gaps that we always had and just never addressed.” (CBC Radio, Feb. 9)

Nurses working with patients who experience pain have a new tool to draw on. RNAO has published a best practice guideline (BPG) called Pain: prevention, assessment and management (Fourth edition). It is one of 50+ BPGs in RNAO’s expansive library.

An 18-member expert panel of RNs, NPs, RPNs, researchers, policy experts, a physiotherapist, and a person with lived experience are behind this latest edition. The group was led by: Dr. Céline Gélinas, full professor at McGill University and a senior researcher at the Centre for Nursing Research and Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital; and Dr. Lindsay Jibb, assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Lawrence Bloomburg Faculty of Nursing, associate member at Institute of Medical Sciences, and a scientist at the SickKids research Institute. For more BPG news, read BPG corner.

The next provincial election will take place on Feb. 27 and RNAO is calling on all political parties to share their plans to improve the health and wellbeing of nurses and their patients, clients and communities. “Health care is complex and investment in health care can always go a long way,” RNAO President NP Lhamo Dolkar told CP24 in a live interview (Jan. 29). Recent investments in primary care are welcome, she said, noting the number of Ontarians who do not have access. “It’s important we invest in primary care solutions, which is an upstream strategy. There are currently 2.5 million Ontarians who do not have primary care,” she said. Dolkar also highlighted our publicly funded, not-for-profit health-care system. “It’s important that we continue to focus on the values that align with the universal health-care system, where we’re not focused on investor driven health care.” Learn more about RNAO’s call for every nurse to actively engage in the democratic process by asking critical questions and challenging political candidates on the campaign trail. Visit the 2025 provincial election platform.

In December 2024, the Ontario government announced legislation that would introduce the NP clinical director role in long-term care. Clinical directors oversee and evaluate residents’ overall care and help identify and address health-care issues related to quality of life. In a media release, RNAO President NP Lhamo Dolkar said: “RNAO is thrilled the government heard our call to expand the scope of NP utilization…to help alleviate pressures on the sector amid the ongoing physician shortage, and to help retain and recruit staff.” This new role is “a win for residents and families that will see the benefit of clinical directors in all 670 homes, a win for health professionals who will feel more supported; and a win for nurses who will see more opportunities to build their careers in Ontario.”  (The Canadian Press, Dec. 11)

On Jan. 10, the Federal Minister of Health Mark Holland issued a letter to provincial and territorial ministers of health to confirm a Canada Health Act policy requiring them to create a public funding model for NPs and other regulated health professionals by April 1, 2026. Charging patients for medically necessary services will be prohibited under this new policy, requiring Ontario to comply or face penalties. RNAO has long called for a publicly funded model without user fees for independent NPs in primary care. “Many nurse practitioners currently provide care through fee-for-service clinics across Ontario due to a lack of funding for their services,” said RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun. “Closure of these clinics would exacerbate the crisis if Ontario does not act swiftly to support an innovative public funding model.” RNAO remains focused on improving primary care for all Ontarians – without user fees – and is eager to work with the provincial government and Dr. Jane Philpott, former federal health minister and recently appointed chair of Ontario’s primary care action team, to develop such a model for NPs. (Ottawa Citizen, Jan. 10)

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a new Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program at Ottawa’s Carleton University on Nov. 5, 2024. It has been two decades since a new university-based nursing program has been created in Ontario. This program is also the first in the world to integrate RN prescribing into its curriculum, heeding the call from RNAO since 2012. In a media release, RNAO President NP Lhamo Dolkar said: “Expanding the number of nursing seats in the province helps address demand across all health sectors and is key to alleviating the nursing shortage.” RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun said: “It is imperative to integrate RN prescribing into all BScN programs. We’re delighted that the university and the government see the opportunity that we do. This first-in-the-world expanded program opens the door to enhance the RN role, making the profession more attractive and most importantly, removing a barrier to care at a time we need to do everything we can to deliver faster access for Ontarians.”

Undergraduate nursing students were given the unique opportunity Nov. 13 to 16, 2024, to see the work of RNAO firsthand as participants in the association’s student placement. They attended an orientation session at home office and heard presentations from department representatives about their work on behalf of members. The students who participated were from McMaster University, Mohawk College, Nipissing University, Ontario Tech University, Seneca College, St. Lawrence College, Toronto Metropolitan University, Western University and York University. Key to the placement is attending the board of directors and the assembly of leaders’ meetings. Student placements are offered three times each year. Visit RNAO's membership website to learn more and keep abreast of registration deadlines for the next placement.

The Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre is offering the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine to infants who do not have a family doctor. NP and RNAO member Erin Fleischer, who works in the clinic, says RSV can make children extremely sick. “The vast majority of kids who are admitted to hospital with RSV are otherwise healthy, term babies,” she suggests. “They have no other underlying medical conditions that would make them at risk.” In fact, “The healthy population can be just as affected as our high-risk population,” Fleischer adds. The hospital hopes that boosting uptake of the RSV vaccine will help take pressure off emergency departments, urgent care, doctor’s offices and walk-in clinics. (London Free Press, Nov. 4)

The newest editions of two best practice guidelines (BPG) were released in the Fall of 2024. Diabetic Foot Ulcers: Prevention, Assessment, and Management (third edition) was published on Oct. 17. Pressure injury management: Risk assessment, prevention and treatment (fourth edition) was released on Nov. 21, 2024. 

The BPGs are among the more than 50 published by RNAO, and provide nurses, members of the interprofessional team, and other collaborators around the world with up-to-date evidence-based recommendations to support care in these two areas.  

The pressure injury BPG’s 16-member expert panel was led by Dr. Dimitri Beeckman, professor of nursing science at Ghent University (Belgium) and Örebro University (Sweden), and Corey Heerschap, wound and ostomy clinical nurse specialist at Barrie’s Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (Canada).

“Through the integration of current research findings, new technologies and relevant clinical strategies, this guideline provides a resource for health-care providers to deliver high quality care, leading to the reduction of incidence and severity of pressure injuries,” says Heerschap.

The diabetic foot ulcer BPG’s interprofessional expert panel was co-chaired by Dr. Mariam Botros, CEO of Wounds Canada, and Dr. Kevin Woo, professor at the Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing for Queen’s University.

“Diabetic foot ulcers are a serious complication that can lead to amputations, but four out of five amputations are preventable with the right care,” says Botros. “These guidelines have a tangible impact in our practice, allowing us to improve the wellbeing and quality of life for individuals, ease the financial burden on our health system and support equitable care."

The BPGs are available online for free download.