To celebrate our incredible collective achievements, RNAO is offering 50% off all membership types – inclusive of professional liability protection – until Jan. 31 at 11:59 p.m. ET. 

Join RNAO and save 50% on your membership fees by using the promo code RNAO50 

Membership fees:

• Regular member: $128.18 (was $256.36)
• ONA member: $87.50 (was $175)
• CUPE member: $110.75 (was $221.49)
• Retired/on leave/working less than 15 hours a week: $43.92 (was $87.83)
• New grad from an NP program: $28.25 (was $56.50)

Be proud and let all your RN and NP colleagues know! RNAO’s Win-Win 100 contest is still on until April 30, 2025. Keep recruiting members to win (see contest rules).

On Jan. 27, Ontario’s Minister of Health Sylvia Jones and the head of Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team, Dr. Jane Philpott, announced the government’s plan to invest $1.8 billion over the next four years to address the primary care crisis – a focus of RNAO’s advocacy for years. 

In RNAO’s response, President and NP Lhamo Dolkar says, “Currently, 2.5 million people across the province lack regular access to a primary care provider. As an NP myself, I know primary care holds the key to improving health outcomes for everyone. This announcement addresses our recommendation that Ontario’s 5,300 NPs must play an integral role in tackling the crisis before us.” RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun adds: “The association is already working with Dr. Philpott and her team to realize a vision of primary care that serves all members of the public.”

Share RNAO’s post on X with the full response to the announcement.

RNAO is seeking talented nurse leaders to join its board of directors (BOD) and committees for 2025-2027 to contribute guiding our future work. Don’t wait – the deadline for nominations is this Friday, Jan. 31. 

The following BOD positions are open for nominations (two-year term):

• president-elect (one-year term followed by a two-year presidency, followed by one-year as immediate past-president)
• region 1 representative 
• region 3 representative 
• region 5 representative 
• region 7 representative 
• region 9 representative 
• region 11 representative 
• representative of the interest group chair (one vacancy) 

The following committee positions are open for nominations:

• provincial nominations committee – two general member vacancies
• provincial resolutions committee – one general member vacancy
• bylaws committee – one assembly member vacancy 
• leadership succession committee – one assembly member vacancy 

Spread the word: Undergraduate nursing students and internationally educated nurse associates can sign up for FREE RNAO membership. Enjoy career and networking opportunities, exclusive benefits and much more. Membership is valid until Oct. 31, 2025.

Remember, for the Win-Win 100 contest, up to 20 of your recruits can be undergraduate nursing students. Take advantage of this extension to get a jump on your recruitment rewards.

Canadians are expected to go to the polls this year and RNAO is ready to help nurses and other voters consider what’s at stake. On Jan. 9, RNAO released its election platform – a nursing-driven vision that promotes people’s health and wellbeing. 

Elections matter, especially when it comes to the health of Canadians. Nurses know that health extends far beyond health care. It is shaped by our economic, social and environmental circumstances.

RNAO urges every nurse, their families and the public to engage in the democratic process. Voting is more than a right; it is a responsibility. We urge you to participate, ask critical questions and challenge political candidates. A strong democracy is foundational to a healthy society, and together we can work to protect and strengthen it.

Read and share with others RNAO’s recommendations related to nursing, health care, social and environmental determinants of health, and fiscal capacity and income and wealth inequality.

The provincial election will take place on Feb. 27. Stay tuned on RNAO’s website for our provincial election platform to be released this Friday and get ready to vote at advance polls! Visit Elections Ontario for voting details. 

RNAO’s world-renowned Best Practice Spotlight Organization® (BPSO®) program continues to pave the way internationally. Nigeria’s federal ministry of health is officially joining RNAO in a partnership aimed to improve health outcomes in that country at the individual, organizational and health system levels. 

As a “BPSO Host,” Nigeria’s director of nursing Dame Francisca Okafor and her team will lead and oversee 15 organizations across the country’s six geographical areas. They will guide and monitor the implementation of four RNAO best practice guidelines covering transitions in care and services, person- and family-centred care, diabetic foot ulcers and pressure injury management.  

The launch was held Jan. 20-23 and included an online training session from RNAO’s expert staff and BPSO presenters from various countries. Dr. Michelle Rey, RNAO’s director of International Affairs and Best Practice Guidelines Centre, and Dionne Sinclair, BPSO lead and VP of clinical operations and chief nursing executive at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, conducted the training sessions. 

Follow @BPSONigeria on X for updates from the newest BPSO Host and to see photos from the launch event.

Throughout January, RNAO’s president and CEO were featured in media stories related to the federal government’s call for Ontario to ensure medically necessary care from NPs is publicly funded, the provincial government's plan to invest in primary care, the continued call for the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) to divest in all fossil fuel holdings; and strategies to improve access to health care in rural Ontario.   

RNAO wants to see you at the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress in Helsinki (June 9-13, 2025). 

To get $1,000 towards your trip to ICN, recruit 50 members to join RNAO. Of the 50 new members, at least 10 must be RN members (not in the New RN in Ontario category), a maximum of 20 undergraduate nursing student associates and/or internationally educated nurse associates, and a maximum of 20 New RN in Ontario members. 

If you recruited more than 50 members, you are still eligible for the Win-Win 100 $5,000 prize if you reach the 100 recruits (based on contest rules).

On Jan 16 - 17, RNAO hosted an orientation launch for Cohort 8 of its RNAO Clinical Pathways program in partnership with PointClickCare. Approximately 40 representatives from the 20 long-term care (LTC) homes that are beginning their implementation journeys attended the in-person event at RNAO’s home office. They join more than 200 LTC homes across Ontario that have implemented the pathways. 

RNAO Clinical Pathways are based on RNAO’s world-renowned best practice guidelines and contextualized for the LTC sector. They are embedded in PointClickCare’s Nursing Advantage Canada platform for ease of access by nurses and the interdisciplinary team. Grounded in research and evidence, RNAO Clinical Pathways enhance staff capacity for evidence-based practice, optimize resident-centred care and health outcomes, and support legislative and regulatory compliance.  

Save the date: RNAO is hosting an in-person symposium on March 20 at 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET in Mississauga to celebrate the second anniversary of the RNAO Clinical Pathways Program. The theme for this symposium is Creating Sustainable Change for Optimal Resident-Centred Care. This event will bring together more than 200 nurse leaders from across Ontario, offering a unique opportunity for networking, learning, and sharing innovative strategies that foster and sustain resident-centred, evidence-based practices in LTC. It will feature a captivating keynote speaker, various presentations and a poster gallery.  

Registration for this event is open to all LTC homes within Ontario. Register online to secure your spot.

On Jan. 24, RNAO President and NP Lhamo Dolkar shared what RNAO believes the provincial government should prioritize in the next fiscal year at a budget consultation in Toronto. In her remarks, Dolkar highlighted many of RNAO’s recommendations to improve Ontario’s health system, including the urgent need to attach all Ontarians to a family physician or NP, and to fund additional NP-led clinics to improve health-care access. Other recommendations for the government include developing a funding model so NPs can work independently without user fees, funding 100 Attending NPs for the long-term care sector and continued funding for RNAO Clinical Pathways. Dolkar also outlined recommendations that will help to end the nursing crisis and meet the demand for nursing students and ended her remarks by calling for an increase to Ontario Disability Support Program benefits as well as affordable and accessible housing. 

Share RNAO’s post on X about the consultation.

On Jan. 22, RNAO’s president, immediate past-president, CEO and senior staff members met with Dr. Jane Philpott, the head of Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team. They discussed RNAO’s ideas on how the province can meet its goal of attaching every Ontario to a family physician or NP within five years. RNAO looks forward to continuing the conversation to ensure Ontario’s health system is anchored in primary care. 

Share RNAO’s post on X.

Members of RNAO’s board of directors and assembly of leaders will be attending the 25th annual Queen’s Park Day – more than 100 participants! Nurses will meet to discuss key nursing, health and health-care related issues as well as RNAO’s provincial and federal election platforms and celebrate the release of ECCO 4.0: Enhancing Community Care for Ontarians. 

If you didn’t receive registration information, please contact Ann-Marie Morris at amorris@RNAO.ca or Chevonne Cordle at ccordle@RNAO.ca.

Each month in In the Loop, an RNAO member’s story is shared.  

RN Milton Grace shares his story:

“After graduation in 2002 I worked in a hospital for some time to gain the necessary medical surgical experience required. I attended a job fair shortly thereafter in Toronto and was recruited by Health Canada (now Indigenous Services Canada) and was sent to Manitoba, Winnipeg to be trained. The training consisted of prescribing, diagnosing and treating patients as per clinical protocols in consultation with doctors by phone in the city. 

The experience gained as a community health nurse was amazing as no two days were the same. One day you may be treating a sore throat and the next day, treating a gunshot wound from a hunting accident. In this role, you definitely have to act quickly and think critically as the patient’s life depends on decisive action. As nursing is a collaborative process, I worked as a team and draw on the experience of my colleagues in administering life saving measures. 

A remote community health nurse, such as myself, touches all aspects of a client’s life across the lifespan, including his or her family members, and other members of the community as most times the nurse is the only health-care provider in isolated and remote communities. Other times I also mentor new colleagues and take part in continuing education such as new technology like digital imaging instead of the old film processing method of doing x-rays. 

Community health nursing for me was rewarding and I published a book for nurses, aspiring nurses, the general public and the media to gain an insight in the work that nurses do and how nurses are valuable members of health-care system.”

RNAO encourages all nurses to speak with reporters about nursing and health-related issues whenever the opportunity arises. 

Read recent stories featuring RNAO members:

• RNs Rodolfo Lastimosa Jr. and Mark Gravoso, The Local: Ontario Needs Nurses—Many Are Already Here, and Waiting to Practice
• RN Christine Lam-Au, Niagara-On-The-Lake Local: Nurse honoured for contributions to older adult care
• RN Émilie Veilleux, TimminsToday.com: 'Where I belong': Nurse finds deep connection in the Far North

Want to speak with reporters? Complete RNAO’s survey and our communications team will connect with you.

RNCareers.ca is a key resource in finding your next job opportunity. This job board is for all levels of nursing, and hosts NP, RN, RPN and PSW positions in clinical and non-clinical roles.  

Whether you’re an employer or a jobseeker, RNCareers offers an optimized user experience to help you post or find a nursing job in many positions, including executive, administrative and management roles.  

If you’re an employer, use RNCareers to post positions, access RNAO’s exclusive resume database and get top quality applicants with automated pre-screening.  

If you’re a health professional looking for your next career move, open a free account on RNCareers to upload your resumé, activate job alerts and land your dream job.

RNAO is always growing and we have opportunities for you. Apply to RNAO’s collaborative, professional, and inspiring team that prioritizes equity, diversity and inclusivity in its work.  

The following full-time, permanent positions are open:

• nursing recruitment and retention manager
• scientific writer/editor
• indicator developer - health outcomes research
• guideline development methodologist
• long-term care best practices implementation coach

Whether you have a question about membership, legal protection, educational opportunities, best practice guidelines, speaking out in the media or being active on social media, RNAO’s home office team is here to help you.  

To ensure you’re reaching out to the right person, please refer to the “Who do I ask?” chart. Save a copy for easy reference.

Your feedback is important. Share your impressions and thoughts about this month’s In the Loop via a short survey so we can continue to enhance your experience.