Dr. Claudette Holloway
This is my outgoing column, having ended my term as the 57th president of our formidable association in June. The past two years have been GRAND – a period of personal and professional growth, impact and representation – truly the highlight of my nursing career.
The work we have accomplished together has been fulfilling, exhilarating and immensely productive. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each one of you – our remarkable 51,650 RNAO members. I am deeply thankful to our committed assembly of leaders, our dedicated board of directors, and the expert and hard-working RNAO staff led by our esteemed CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun and her insatiable passion for excellence, nursing and health.
Serving as the president of such a powerful organization of RNs, NPs and nursing students has been a privilege. I am grateful to God for the support and encouragement from all who surrounded me. The spiritual aspect of life holds a special place in my heart, and I extend special thanks to the Faith Community Nursing Interest Group for your prayers.
Representing you at various events, policy meetings, celebrations and in media interviews, I can attest to RNAO's collective voice being heard and respected. Our evidence-based approaches are robust and influential, and I am proud of the profound impact our members have by speaking out for nursing and health. Virtual technology allowed me to extend my reach and it was, of course, an honour to also visit many of you in person across this great province.
I want to share a few highlights:
Our long and hard-fought RN prescribing authority became a reality last November and Ontarians are already reaping the benefits of faster access to primary care as a result. Our advocacy for more NPs, NP-led clinics and more seats in nursing schools is also something we can be proud of given the government’s announcement earlier this year.
RNAO is a powerful catalyst for change and there is no better example of this than our Nursing Career Pathways report. I had the privilege to take part in its release at RNAO’s 2023 Queen’s Park Day. Its concrete solutions will strengthen our profession so nurses can fulfill their career aspirations and be fully equipped to provide the care Ontarians depend on. We continue to draw on this document as an example of how we can build up the nursing workforce in the face of ongoing challenges.
Representing RNs, NPs and nursing students at various events, policy meetings, celebrations and in media interviews, I can attest to RNAO's collective voice being heard and respected.
I’m proud of our collective efforts to ensure our publicly-funded health system remains universal and not-for-profit. There is more work to do and I look forward to participating in my role as immediate past-president. One bright spot is news of a national pharmacare plan. Details of the plan were rolled out in 2024. The legislation is now before the Senate and we urge you to sign the Action Alert.
I am also proud of our steadfast advocacy for those struggling with substance use. At our media conference during Nursing Week 2024, we heard from people with lived experience. It was impactful, as was my visit to Sudbury to meet nurses and other health workers who are loud and clear about the urgency to keep the doors to supervised consumption services sites open so they continue to save lives.
Like the social determinants of health, RNAO has also not wavered from its commitment to sound the alarm when it comes to the environmental determinants of health. And I had the pleasure to participate in a rally with now President NP Lhamo Dolkar last fall to end our reliance on fossil fuels.
RNAO’s reputation as a clinical leader is stellar. This was never clearer than at the International Council of Nurses Congress we attended in July 2023, where I bore witness to the profound respect and thanks nurses and other health-care workers have for RNAO and its Best Practice Guidelines and Best Practice Spotlight Organization® Programs, thanks to Doris’ vision.
During my time as president, we continued our work to address systemic racism and all other forms of discrimination within the nursing profession. We launched the Health Equity Consortium, which allows RNAO’s health equity interest groups and dedicated staff to work towards sustained change for equity deserving communities. The consortium includes three RNAO interest groups: Rainbow Nursing, Black Nurses Leading Change and Indigenous Nurses and Allies. Together, they are doing amazing work. It’s been such a privilege to moderate and take part as a speaker in the numerous events over the past two years on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
A special thank you to members who welcomed me during chapter and region visits and who invited me for events in hospitals, community organizations and academic institutions. The ceremonial gifts of tobacco I received are a cherished reminder to greet and meet others in a good way, acknowledge the beauty of creation, and share and care for the land.
Serving as chair of RNAO’s board expanded my knowledge and skills through interactions with the executive and fellow directors. Our parliamentarian guided me with grace and precision through our annual general meetings. Presiding over these meetings showcased our members' enthusiasm, passion and engagement with critical issues in nursing and health care. These transformative issues promise a bright future for our profession.
And our future is in capable hands. Our students are active, our RN prescribers are practising their new skills, and our NPs are enhancing access to better health care for Ontarians.
Our work is not finished. We must continue to strive for EDI and we must reject racism and all other forms of discrimination as these affect us all. And, we must remain relentless in our efforts to eliminate it.
We also need increased funding for supervised consumption services. Any death from toxic drugs is a preventable public health issue.
I look forward to working with our new President – Lhamo Dolkar – RNAO’s first practising NP president and a leader with immense knowledge and the heart of RNAO. My message to you, Lhamo is: lead on.