Lalezar Tüner

As the president of Nursing Students of Ontario (NSO) from 2021–2022, I had the incredible opportunity to be a part of RNAO’s BOD where I utilized my position to advocate for student and professional issues. My endeavours included organizing the student luncheon at the AGM, speaking up on TV and radio to explain the challenges nurses and nursing students face, and offering solutions. Through my experience on the RNAO board of directors, I gained meaningful insight into RNAO’s governance and witnessed the positive impact of RNAO’s initiatives in our profession. In addition to my role as NSO president and RNAO board student representative, I was involved in the awards committee and the RNJ review committee. 

I have been serving as Region 5 representative since October 2024. It has been a humbling and exciting part of my early nursing career to be honoured with this position, where I am ultimately grasping the powerful impact of RNAO in shaping policies. There’s a need to strengthen RNAO’s influence within Region 5, as the local RN engagement with MPPs and nursing students remains low. I am striving to continue working towards helping local nurses and nursing students find their voices to advocate for policies that improve patient safety and care. Now that our region has a new BScN program, I strive towards engaging nursing students by introducing them to RNAO’s advocacy efforts and extending Region 5’s social media presence to inspire more RNs to get involved in RNAO. I hope extending my term as an RNAO board member will allow me to reach my goals.