Health policy and advocacy

RNAO members connect virtually with their MPPs for QPOR

As one of RNAO’s annual signature political action events, this year’s iteration looked a bit different due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Participants joined President Morgan Hoffarth and CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun for a four-hour afternoon event that included remarks from the premier, min...

David* is an NP at a walk-in clinic in his area. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, he met Jane, a young mother of two who called the clinic to talk with him about a concerning discharge and palpable lumps in her breasts. A few months prior, she had seen her primary care provider (PCP) with the same concerns and was ordered a mammo...

This past fall, RNAO’s president and CEO connected with members from 12 communities to speak with RNs, NPs and nursing students from chapters, regions and interest groups across the province. Due to the pandemic, the visits took place via Zoom.  President Morgan Hoffarth spoke with members from Durham Region, Kawartha La...

When June Prokop, a retired nurse and current resident at Sault Ste. Marie’s F.J. Davey Home, was asked why she wants to receive four hours of direct care, she responded: “It gets lonely here sometimes, so having the support of the staff makes it easier.” Prokop is just one of the many seniors who call long-term care (LTC) “h...

Modernizing the home and community care legislative regime In June, RNAO provided feedback on the government’s efforts to reform the home and community care sector. Bill 175: Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, 2020 repeals the 1994 legislative framework and integrates home and community care with the res...

As an NP, Corsita Garraway has faced many obstacles throughout her nursing career in Canada. In 1995, while studying in the RPN-to-RN bridging program at Centennial College, she was one of the few Black nursing students in her program of 40 students. She worked hard to earn high grades and watched other Black students drop out d...

Systemic neglect and archaic staffing and funding policies in long-term care (LTC) have put thousands of older adults at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Ontario, more than 1,800 LTC residents have died from COVID-19. In a few short months, more than half of the province’s 626 LTC faciliti...