RNAO is proud to be celebrating its 100th anniversary! Since 1925, RNAO has had a profound effect on the nursing profession. From nursing regulation, collective bargaining and education to political advocacy and clinical practice, RNAO has shaped the profession in all domains, roles and sectors and raised the profile of nurses as significant contributors to people’s health. Fast forward to 2025, RNAO’s strong collective of more than 54,400 RNs, NPs and nursing students continues to speak out for nursing and health to power the profession and influence healthy public policy for the benefit of all Ontarians. 

Join RNAO in celebrating its 100th anniversary all year long! For a look back at RNAO’s history, visit the RNAO 100 dedicated webpage. Share posts on X (formerly Twitter) that use “#RNAO100” and tag @RNAO to celebrate your professional association. Remember to wear your RN, NP, or nursing student pin.  

Share also your reflections and photos in RNAO’s interactive message board. What does RNAO mean to you? What is your favourite memory as an RNAO member? How does RNAO make you proud? 

Celebrations will continue at RNAO’s 100th Annual General Meeting on May 29-30, 2025 at Toronto’s Hilton hotel with the theme RNAO: 100 years of action and impact. Registration is free and now open! Learn more and register by visiting the AGM portal.

Congratulations to the newly registered RNs with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO). To celebrate, we’re offering FREE membership. Membership is valid until Oct. 31, 2026. 

You’re eligible if you have:

• graduated from an undergraduate nursing program leading to your initial "RN" registration with the CNO within the past 12 months or plan to graduate in the next three months
• satisfied all prerequisites necessary for an internationally educated nurse (IEN) to practise as an RN in Ontario within the past 12 months 

This free membership provides all the rights and privileges in the regular fee category including professional liability protection (PLP) – a mandatory requirement by the CNO. These complimentary memberships are provided by HUB International, RNAO's home and auto insurance partner. 

If you are currently an RNAO undergraduate nursing student or IEN associate member and want to upgrade to this category, please email your request to membership@RNAO.ca with the subject “NEW RN MEMBERSHIP UPGRADE” or call RNAO toll-free at 1-800-268-7199.

Each February, as part of Black History Month, RNAO celebrates the achievements and contributions of Black nurses. We look back at accomplishments over the past year, and forward to new developments that will help tackle anti-Black racism and discrimination within the nursing profession.   

Read RNAO’s full statement on the Black Nurses and RNAO In Focus. If you’re interested in becoming a member of the Black Nurses Leading Change (BNLC) interest group, please visit MyRNAO. Follow @BNLC_RNAO on X (formerly Twitter) to stay updated on its activities and upcoming events.  

Throughout February, RNAO shared videos of its members on is social media channels to commemorate Black History Month. Watch the videos:

• Dr. Claudette Holloway, RNAO immediate past president
• NP Lhamo Dolkar, RNAO president
• Dr. Angela Cooper Brathwaite, RNAO past president
• Lori Zozzolotto, chair of BNLC
• Dania Versailles, RNAO’s region 10 board representative
• Dwight Barrett, communications executive network officer (ENO) for BNLC
• Kaywana Malcolm, membership ENO for BNLC
• Dionne Sinclair, member of BNLC
• Sherida Chambers, member of BNLC

On Feb. 27 – coinciding with election day in Ontario – RNAO’s board of directors, chapter, region and interest group chairs, policy and political action network officers, and communications executive network officers (ENO) met in Toronto for the association’s 25th annual Queen’s Park Day (QPD). 

The full-day event featured a preview of RNAO’s forthcoming ECCO: Enhancing Community Care for Ontarians 4.0 report led by RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun and members of the nursing and health policy team. The day also included a session on nurses’ asks outlined in the provincial and federal election platforms and how RNAO will continue to work with elected officials to implement the recommendations. 

Read RNAO’s thread of posts on X and watch the video for a recap of QPD over the years, as well as the QPD 2025 video. The livestream recording is also available on RNAO's YouTube channel.

The day following QPD, RNAO’s Assembly of Leaders (AOL) continued conversations about how to mobilize the recommendations outlined in the association's provincial election platform and how members can get engaged in the federal election platform once an election is called with support from RNAO. The AOL engaged in sessions about visiting MPPs and MPs, and using social media to connect with their local media to make nurses’ asks known. During the assembly meeting, RNAO President NP Lhamo Dolkar and Grinspun gave their reports, and members provided updates from their respective chapter, region or interest group. The AOL also saw a closer look of RNAO's 100th anniversary webpage. Read RNAO’s thread of posts on X for a glimpse of the day. 

If you’re interested in joining the executive team of your chapter, region or interest group, contact membership@RNAO.ca.

RNAO proudly released the latest RNJ issue – a special anniversary edition celebrating 25 years of our world-renowned Best Practice Guidelines (BPG) program. It features stories related to the association’s BPG work, including contributors’ perspectives on the program, how students are engaged with the program, the research community’s involvement with BPGs, the social landscape of change and more. The Policy at Work and BPG Impact features will provide you with timely updates, and the recap on RNAO’s annual Fall Tour highlights RNAO’s engaged leadership with nurses province-wide. It also includes In the End, RNAO President NP Lhamo Dolkar’s column about Fall Tour visits, and RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun’s conversation with members on the history of the BPG program which she found in 1998. 

Check also the latest Nursing in the News and a legal column about RNAO’s professional liability protection and Legal Assistance Program (LAP®). 

Share your feedback using the online form.

A hard copy of this special RNJ will arrive in your mailbox soon!

On Feb. 19, RNAO released a new edition best practice guideline (BPG) on pain. This fourth-edition guideline provides evidence-based recommendations for nurses and members of the interprofessional team to prevent, assess and manage pain across the lifespan. 

This BPG was developed collaboratively with an interprofessional expert panel that included persons with lived experience. RNAO extends a special thanks to the expert panel and co-chairs, Dr. Céline Gélinas, professor at the Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University; and Dr. Lindsay Jibb, scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children. 

Read the media release.

On March 4, the president of the United States imposed 25 per cent tariffs on products entering the US from Canada and Mexico. In response, Canada will implement 25 per cent tariffs on $155 billion worth of imported goods from the U.S. RNAO urges all members to shop products made in Canada. 

As soon as the federal election is announced we will call on all Canadians to vote for a prime minister and MPs who stand up for Canada; and also retain and strengthen universal health care and determinants of health, as outlined in RNAO’s federal election platform. 

Throughout this month, RNAO’s president and CEO were featured in media stories related to the provincial election, the ongoing nursing shortage and reflections on the fifth anniversary since the start of COVID-19 pandemic.  

For only $64.57, RNAO's additional Legal Assistance Program (LAP®)  complements your professional liability protection (PLP)

LAP protects you and your registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) in the following situations, which fall outside the scope of PLP:

• you’re named in a complaint to CNO
• you require legal advice about an employment-related situation (e.g., a lay-off or termination)
• you’re subpoenaed to provide testimony in a coroner’s inquest related to an incident that occurred in nursing practice 

With both PLP and LAP, you are protected in a wide variety of legal situations. 

Enrol in LAP: Login to MyRNAO and select “Add Legal Assistance Program or an Interest Group” in the Account Management section. Speak with a membership representative by calling 1-800-268-7199.

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).

The new deadline to submit nominations for RNAO’s annual Media Awards competition is this Friday, March 7.

The competition honours outstanding nursing and health-care journalism from 2024 in a variety of categories: community newspaper, daily newspaper, radio, television, online, podcast and multicultural.

Please note: You must inform the reporter that you want to enter their story.

RNAO’s Mental Health and Substance Use Program is hosting an invite-only two-day summit to celebrate the past decade of progress, honour ourpresent and plan for the future. Leaders across the health, education and social service sectors in Ontario and beyond will come together to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Youth Wellness Champions program and discuss current challenges and opportunities in youth mental health. Sector partners will participate in thinktank discussions to address gaps and identify opportunities to strengthen the mental health and substance use sector in Ontario, working collaboratively to create system-level solutions that support youth across Ontario. 

To learn more, email the Mental Health and Substance Use program at mhsu@RNAO.ca.

On Feb. 13, RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun was an expert panelist at the Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign’s (OCEC) pre-election virtual town hall, titled Vote to Secure Our Future: The Ontario Election and You. 

The town hall provided the more than 200 participants with crucial information about the climate crisis as well as policies affecting social and environmental determinants ahead of the provincial election. The panelists also detailed party by party policies and record summaries followed by an interactive discussion to ensure voters are informed before heading to the polls. 

If you missed it, the recording of the webinar is available online. Thank you to everyone who joined this important event.

The next federal election will soon be upon us. Elections matter, especially for the health of Canadians. Nurses know health extends far beyond health care. It is shaped by our economic, social and environmental circumstances. At the heart of this platform is a nursing-driven vision for promoting health and wellbeing — for everyone!

RNAO’s federal election platform will help inform you on the issues most important to nursing, health and health care so you can make an informed vote once election day arrives.

Celebrate RNAO’s 100th anniversary at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on May 29-30, 2025 at Toronto’s Hilton hotel. 

This year’s theme is RNAO: 100 years of action and impact. This event is an opportunity for RNs, NPs and nursing students to reflect on what we've achieved over the decades as an association and look ahead at the opportunities to strengthen the nursing profession and make it a magnet for the next generation of nurses. 

Attendees will get to experience an interactive history room for a glimpse of the past 100 years of RNAO. You don’t want to miss out! #RNAO100 

The agenda for the two-day event is available online.

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

This month, RN Samantha MacDonald shares her story:

“You know, sometimes, I reflect on how it all began. Being a patient at SickKids Hospital in Toronto, Ontario from birth until I was 18 made nursing more than just a career choice; it became integral to my identity. Every hospital appointment, surgery and childhood challenge moulded me into the nurse I am today. I went from being a patient to becoming a bedside nurse, and now, I am a clinical nurse educator. I remember my first day on the nursing job, stepping onto the hospital floor with nerves and excitement. Little did I know that day would begin a journey that I love.  

Throughout my nursing journey, I have learned a great deal. This career has taught me the true meaning of compassion. It is more than just administering medication or changing dressings; it’s about connecting with people, sharing their joys and sorrows, and being there when they need it the most. Through laughter and tears, I have learned the power of empathy and have gained the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. My nursing career has also taught me more about resilience. There are days when the workload seems endless, and I question if I have anything left to give. Yet, in these moments of doubt, I find the inner strength I possessed as a patient. I push through the exhaustion, find light in the darkest of times, and emerge stronger on the other side.  

As I navigated my nursing career, I realized the power of education in shaping the future of health care. Inspired by the nurses who once guided me, I pursued the nursing education journey, driven by a desire to empower future generations of nurses with the same values of empathy, competence, and humanity that had once touched my life. As a clinical nurse educator, I also found a way to honour these nurses who had made such a difference in my patient journey, ensuring their kindness lives on in the hearts and hands of nurses and future nurses. Lastly, and above all, nursing has taught me the value of life itself. In a profession where every day is a delicate dance between life and death, I have come to cherish the moments we often take for granted. A smile from a patient, a thank you from a loved one, and the simple act of holding someone’s hand in their time of need remind me again why I chose this career. I owe a lot to the nursing profession. It has shaped me into the person and nurse I am today, and I am proud of it.”

RNAO encourages all nurses to speak with reporters whenever the opportunity arises to continue to raise the profile of issues that matter most to nursing, health and health care. 

Read recent news stories featuring RNAO members:

• RN Mark Gravoso, CBC Radio: Nurses weigh in five years after COVID-19 arrived in Ontario
• RN Candace Winter, The SDG & A Cornwall Seeker: RNAO Seaway Chapter Hosts Informal Discussion with Nursing Students
• RN Kathy Moreland, CTV News: Fentanyl czar? Windsor advocates weigh in
• NP Charis Kelly, CP24: Wellness Wednesday: Essential burn safety tips every parent needs to know
• RNs Karla Ghartey and Neil Stephen, Radio-Canada: Désespérés, des toxicomanes envisagent des traitements forcés
  

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

With RNCareers.ca – RNAO’s official career site – job seekers can create a free account, activate job alerts, search for employers and access career resources to help land a dream job. Employers can post jobs, monitor applications, search for candidates through RNCareers’ large database, and filter applications with automated pre-screening. It’s a win-win for both applicants and employers!

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

The following positions are open:

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

Tax season is approaching! The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) requires all its members who are registered to practise to have professional liability protection (PLP). Because PLP is automatically included in your RNAO membership, it may be tax deductible.  

We recommend that you consult a tax professional if you’re unsure about your personal circumstances.

Did you enjoy reading this month’s In the Loop? RNAO’s e-newsletter is written for you. Take a few moments to share your thoughts, feedback and ideas about what this month’s newsletter and what you’d like to see in future editions.