RNAO issued a media release on Jan. 20 following the government’s announcement that it plans to start lifting public health measures. The Ontario government’s announcement today to ease public health measures beginning Jan. 31 is premature and will prolong the current health system crisis, says RNAO.

RNAO sent a letter to the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) expressing grave concerns about the slow processing of applications for registration of internationally educated nurses (IEN).

The following is an article contributed by a group of internationally educated nurses (IENs) who live in Canada and are anxious to work as RNs in Canada but who have endured years of an arduous and seemingly interminable process to meet the requirements.

Welcome to my Wednesday, January 26 blog. This week we share: 1) Listening to internationally educated nurses (IENs) living in Ontario and eager to work in our health system; 2) RNAO’s letter to the College of Nurses of Ontario regarding IENs; and 3) RNAO’s response to the government’s plan to start lifting public health measures soon. Scroll down for upcoming RNAO webinars.

France has been more successful than Canada in implementing a COVID-19 app. We extend our appreciation to Maia Foulis for bringing us this article that highlights the French experience with the app.

RNAO’s CEO Doris Grinspun made a deputation to the Toronto Board of Health on Jan. 17. RNAO recognizes the importance of our public education system for all children’s learning, physical, social and emotional development. In principle, there is no question – school is where kids and youth ought to be. However, the provincial government’s response to school safety has mirrored its response to the pandemic generally. Public health measures have been too little, too late – undermining our capacity to ameliorate the damage caused by the virus, and jeopardizing recovery.

Welcome to my Tuesday, January 18 blog. Huge thanks to the healthcare workers who drove and walked to get to work on the biggest snowstorm in decades, and those who stayed for shifts up to 30 hours straight when other workers became stranded in the snow. This week we share: 1) RNAO’s submission to the Toronto Board of Health on return to school; and 2) how France's contact tracing tool and health pass became the most popular app in the country. Scroll down for several upcoming RNAO webinars in January.

Global problems require global solutions. With COVID-19, however, we’re seeing that our governance mechanisms don’t drive global solutions even when our lives depend on it. In the current global landscape, the virus outsmarted us. Global vaccine roll-out has been inequitable: less than three per cent of people in low-income countries have been vaccinated as the richest countries hoard vaccines, and refuse to support waivers on COVID-19 vaccine patent rights or to keep pharmaceutical companies from bullying middle- and lower-income countries. This is an article by Gloria Novovic.

In December 2021, RNAO spoke to the media about several prominent, timely issues including the ongoing nursing shortage, Bill 124 and booster vaccines. We also commented on the Ontario government’s announcements prior to the holidays, including changes to capacity limits, testing requirements and reporting of cases.

RNAO issued a letter to Premier Doug Ford on Jan. 5, 2022. As the fifth wave of this pandemic rages, the cracks in our health system are clear for all to see. The reactive and last-minute management of this pandemic must end. There is no separate trajectory for Ontario’s economy while this virus ravages the people of this province and threatens to bring our health system to its knees. Ontarians desperately need the help of the nursing profession to succeed in fighting Omicron. As the premier of this province, it is on you to bring hope back to our nursing profession.