RNAO also offers its deepest condolences to RNAO member NP Sarah Bremner and her son Brandon – who lost their husband and father Jereld Bremner, and their son and brother Donny Bremner – due to a tragic snowmobiling accident. RNAO also extends heartfelt sympathies to RPN Brie Cudahy who lost her husband Bill Fournier in a tragic snowmobiling accident.

RNAO grieves the loss of Stefanie Van Nguyen, a young RN committed to the nursing profession.

On January 27, 2020, I sent my first novel coronavirus report. Fast-forward a year, and…. we still have months to go, and perhaps even longer. The key factors that will greatly influence the days, weeks, months and perhaps years ahead depend mainly on two priorities. The first is how strongly the Ontario government implements policies aimed at controlling the virus. The second is how fast and effectively vaccination rollouts happen in Ontario, Canada and globally.

Nurses call on Premier Doug Ford to act swiftly to suffocate community spread of COVID-19 – now more than ever – given the rapidly spreading new strains. As with the vaccines, delay in taking bold action to support vulnerable populations that can’t afford to self-isolate is costing lives and putting our health system and its health-care workers at undue burden – physically and emotionally.  

As health providers, vaccine hesitancy among co-workers, clients and patients poses a significant challenge and requires informed and effective communication approaches. We are grateful to Stephanie Elliott BSc(hon), Noah Ivers MD and Cora Constantinescu MD, FRCPC for contributing the following article presenting evidence-based communication tools.

We receive every week messages regarding my blog, most of them being positive, thankful and heartwarming. This week was no different, except for a message that I share with permission, making me reflect on the many sides to an issue, and how sensitive we must always be. Please read, see my response, and reflect.  

RNAO is urging that public health and primary care be the healthcare sectors leading the rollout and execution of the COVID-19 vaccination. As you read in our press release last week, RNAO also asserts that home care has a vital role to play in the vaccination rollout. We are grateful for the following contribution from Shirlee Sharkey, CEO of SE Health. RNAO wholeheartedly supports the approach presented by Shirlee.

RNAO has been a leading voice since the end of the first wave in summer 2020 calling on the Ontario government to engage measures to pre-empt and prevent the unavoidable second wave in the fall. We provide an update on the current context and RNAO's reaction to the latest measures implemented in the province. RNAO describes these measures as not enough, too little, too late and – since we are in an intensifying tragedy – calculated recklessness.

RNAO remains intensely involved in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Ontario. We are participating in a collective effort to develop a comprehensive information resource on vaccines. RNAO organized a webinar with Dr. Dirk Huyer on vaccine distribution: Progress to date. Vaccinations should be ramped up starting with those at highest risk of severe disease or death – residents of long-term care homes –, as well as their essential care partners and staff in those homes. RNAO and three home care providers are calling on the government to get the vaccinations into the hands of community providers including nurses, physicians and pharmacists.