Nursing Week is the annual celebration of our profession that always coincides with the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, on May 12. This year, it will be held May 10 to 16 and RNAO will be celebrating with the theme Protecting Ontarians and Leading Change: Nurses and RNAO during COVID-19. RNAO is proud to recognize all nurses for the quality of care they provide to patients, clients and long-term care residents. From the bedside to the classroom and the boardroom, nurses make Ontario, our country and the world a healthier place.

The World Health Organization has proclaimed 2021 as the International Year of Health and Care Workers to express gratitude for their unwavering dedication in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure all health workers are supported, protected, motivated and equipped to deliver safe health care at all times.

As we battle a relentless and stubborn third wave of COVID-19 driven by dangerous variants, RNAO continues to speak out on the pandemic and its impact on nurses, other health-care workers and Ontarians. Here is the April media report.

On April 30, the Ontario’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission released its final report. RNAO has followed the work of the Commission, met more than once with the commissioners and contributed substantially to their work. Here is RNAO’s media release in response to the Commission’s final report.

RNAO is deeply saddened to hear of the tragic passing of registered nurse Lorraine Gouveia who died after contracting COVID-19.

The Ontario government owes an apology to the families of the 3,758 long-term care (LTC) residents lost to COVID-19 and to the staff that valiantly cared for them under deplorable conditions – including 11 who lost their own lives in the line of duty.