On Oct. 29, RNAO CEO Doris Grinspun received the American Academy of Nursing’s (AAN) prestigious COVID-19 Courage Award for her work and contributions in the area of policy. She was among four nurses selected to receive an award, with the other three receiving recognition for developments in innovation, leadership and science.

“Courage is the capacity to speak out when one must to move change...and to not only say it once, but persist in saying it until change is achieved,” Grinspun said about influencing policy. “A huge battle that we won from a policy perspective – and feel tremendously proud about at RNAO – is that we succeeded to convince the premier of this province to reopen nursing homes for families. Essential caregivers are now allowed to go and be with their loved ones to support them during this difficult time.”

An effective policy expert and 2018 AAN fellow, Grinspun skillfully uses evidence to influence policy decisions at the provincial, national and international levels. She is in regular contact with the premier of Ontario, health minister and other top officials in charge of the government’s COVID-19 response plan. She is well-known among the media as an outspoken and evidence-grounded advocate for policy change that will help vulnerable populations, including residents in long-term care homes, as well as people experiencing homelessness. She is a tireless champion and is especially concerned about these groups during the pandemic.

When asked the source of her courage, Grinspun said: “Whether it is with my family, my community or with nursing, health or health care - at the core of it - my courage is driven by a deep desire to leave behind a better world than the one that we came to.” And to the question about what moved her to focus her advocacy work on policy, Grinspun noted: “We have outstanding clinicians, educators, administrator and researchers in nursing. What we need are outstanding policy makers who can master not only the evidence and the values to drive policy...but the courage to speak out.”

Read about all of the winners HERE. For more on RNAO’s COVID-19 advocacy efforts, visit the COVID-19 portal with links to Grinspun’s weekly COVID-19 blog.