2022 Nursing Now Ontario Awards: Celebrating nursing's best

Nov. 25, 2021. Nominations are open for the 2022 Nursing Now Ontario Awards

The work nurses do each and every day to improve people's health deserves recognition and celebration. COVID-19 has revealed to us how resilient Ontario nurses are and their enduring commitment to ensuring people receive the care they need despite the obstacles a global pandemic presents.

Omicron edition: Uncertainty, uncertainty, uncertainty

What do we know about the Omicron variant of concern? The following is a 28 November article by Zeynep Tufekci that appeared in her blog Insight. She is an associate professor at the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with an affiliate appointment at the Department of Sociology.

The NHS staffing crisis is killing people – and this winter it will be even worse

With staff quitting at the National Health Service (the publicly funded healthcare system in the UK, or NHS) over poor conditions and a recruitment black hole, a pay raise for nurses is the least Sajid Javid – the UK’s Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, should do. This is the main argument in a 26 November article by Polly Toynbee in The Guardian. Does it resonate regarding conditions in Ontario?

November 28 2021 COVID-19 report

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Welcome to my Sunday, November 28 blog. This week we share: (1) a note to Premier Doug Ford calling to repeal Bill 124; (2) the nursing staffing crisis that is killing people in the UK; (3) what we know about the new Omicron variant; and (4) seeking nominations for the best in nursing – the 2022 Nursing Now Ontario Awards. Scroll down for policy updates and action alerts, as well as several RNAO webinars this week.

Nurses gather in Toronto to rally: Recap of #RepealBill124 rally and next steps

On Nov. 14, we took action and spoke up against Bill 124 – legislation that limits wage increases to one per cent and is a disgrace to nurses and other public sector workers. Organized by Nursewithsign416 (@NurseWithSign on Twitter), RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun, President Morgan Hoffarth, President-Elect Claudette Holloway, Board members Debra Lefebvre (region 9), Anita Tsang-Sit (region 4), co-chair Black Nurses Task Force Corsita Garraway, as well as numerous RNAO members and other public sector workers, participated in the rally to #RepealBill124.

Rich countries only shared 14% of COVID-19 vaccine doses promised to poorer nations

The rate of vaccination in the poorest countries remains dismal, and rich countries such as Canada continue to fail in their promises to help. The following is an October 22 CBC Radio article. The original article can be found here. It was written by Mehek Mazhar. Interview with Brittany Lambert produced by Katie Geleff.

November 21 2021 COVID-19 report

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Welcome to my Sunday, November 21 blog. This week we share: (1) nurses gather in Toronto to rally – a recap of the #RepealBill124 rally; (2) an infectious disease doctor explains why we should not hesitate to vaccinate children who are 5 and older; and (3) vaccine injustice: rich countries only shared 14% of COVID-19 vaccine doses promised to poorer nations. Scroll down for policy updates and action alerts, as well as six RNAO webinars this week!

Nurses celebrate National Nurse Practitioner Week and call for scope expansion to improve access to the health system

Toronto, Nov. 10. In honour of National Nurse Practitioner (NP) Week (Nov. 7 – 13), the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is proud to highlight the critical role of NPs in improving access to care for all, especially persons marginalized by inequity.