May/June 2019

More than 3,700 nurses and members of the public have signed an April RNAO action alert in response to the provincial government’s decision to cut funding for public health. By the end of May, the government slowed its course, announcing it would not move on the cuts for the current year. 

RNAO is supporting a private members’ bill aimed at addressing Ontario’s growing opioid epidemic. Mississauga PC MPP Natalia Kusendova, who is an RN, tabled the legislation, called the Mandatory Police Training Act, 2019, in May.

New grad Josee Duewel writes a letter to Sioux Lookout Bulletin (April 23) about protecting the environment and residents from the dangers of littered needles.   

Health officials are concerned children may be at risk if they consume cannabis-infused edibles, including homemade pot cookies and cannabis-infused gummies. According to Durham Region public health nurse Nadine Ladouceur, ingesting cannabis-infused edibles can result in anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations.

David McNeil, RNAO past-president and president of the Brant Community Healthcare System (BCHS), is leading a new committee he hopes will create 

At Synapse 2019, a nursing symposium held at St. Lawrence College in Cornwall in May, the college’s nursing program was celebrated for its achievements and strides over the years. “It’s to celebrate the work we do,” says Julie Dyke, professor at the Cornwall campus.

A new hospice will soon be coming to Smiths Falls Rideau Community Health Services. The facility will be the first of its kind between Kingston and Ottawa. “I think the community would benefit from it,” says CEO Michele Bellows. “It gives patients and families another option for end-of-life.