November 6 2021 COVID-19 report

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Dear Colleagues: Welcome to our Saturday, November 6 report during this twenty second month of COVID-19 in Ontario. You can find earlier update reports here, including thematic pieces in Doris’ COVID-19 Blog. And, for the many resources RNAO offers on COVID-19, please visit the COVID-19 Portal where you will also find RNAO media hits and releases on the pandemic here. Daily Situational Reports from Ontario’s MOH EOC can be found here. As always, feel free to share this report and links with anyone interested. Scroll down for policy updates and action alerts, as well as RNAO’s upcoming webinars.

RN and NP membership renewal deadline is this Sunday! This is your last chance to renew and enjoy a whole year of membership without disruption of your PLP and LAP. RNs and NPs - renew for only $256.36, or $175 if you are an ONA member, or $87.83 if you work less than 15 hrs a week, are unemployed, on parental leave or retired. PLP is included at no extra cost and is mandatory to practice in Ontario. Renew at join.rnao.ca or call 1-800-268-7199. Renew NOW!!!!!  And, for nursing students – fee membership ends also this Sunday, Nov 7.

This week we share: (1) Join us at the rally for climate emergency action today, Saturday Nov. 6, at 1:00 pm; (2) Join us at the rally to repeal Bill 124 on Sunday, November 14; (3) RNAO’s disappointment with Premier Ford’s decision not to mandate vaccination for all health-care workers; (4) Ontario’s economic statement signals government’s concerns with nursing human resources; and (5) RNAO’s October media report.


Join the rally for climate emergency action today Saturday at Queen’s Park, 1:00 pm

Today, Saturday, November 6th, to coincide with the ongoing climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, RNAO is attending the Toronto Global Day of Action for Climate Justice from 1pm to 3pm on the south lawn of Queen’s Park. Come join me under the RNAO banner. Check details here.

What’s at stake? Greenhouse gas emissions, generated by human activity, are driving climate change and have brought us to the brink of a global environmental and humanitarian crisis. The fight against climate change demands urgent and sustained action from leaders of all levels of government around the world, including our own. We must recognize we are facing a climate emergency.

Join us! Demand that Canada’s representatives at the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) currently being held in Glasgow, Scotland lead the fight against climate change and for a sustainable future for this planet and all living creatures who share it.

We must accelerate our efforts to arrest climate change. COP26 follows on the heels of a sobering report from the United Nations. The world is squandering the opportunity to “build back better” from the COVID-19 pandemic, and faces disastrous temperature rises of at least 2.7C if countries fail to strengthen their climate pledges, it warns. Although more than 100 countries have promised to reach net zero emissions around mid-century, this would not be enough to stave off climate disaster, according to the UN report. Much more aggressive and urgent action is required.

António Guterres, the UN secretary-general, said: “The heat is on, and as the contents of this report show, the leadership we need is off. Far off. Countries are squandering a massive opportunity to invest COVID-19 fiscal and recovery resources in sustainable, cost-saving, planet-saving ways.”

Join us! Demand that Canada’s leaders – at all levels and in all places – be at the forefront of the global fight for our planet and our future!

We will be raising our voices together pushing the Canadian government and world leaders to stop stonewalling and take real action now for climate justice. Our rally will include Indigenous land defenders, climate justice, social justice and labour activists, Indigenous drummers, dancers and actions that all those in attendance can participate in. Our demands are: respect Indigenous sovereignty; phase out fossil fuels; a just transition for communities and workers, and global justice.

Again, check details here. Sign the Action Alert here.


Join President Morgan Hoffarth and me – Rally to repeal Bill 124 on Sunday, November 14 at noon

Sunday, November 14, 2021, noon at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto. RNAO is joining the rally organized by @NurseWithSign bringing the public sector to call on Premier Ford to repeal Bill 124! Come and support the demand to immediately end wage suppression! I am proud to be one of the guest speakers at the rally and our awesome RNAO president Morgan Hoffarth will be leading the RNAO contingency – look for the RNAO banner!  President-Elect Claudette Holloway and several of our board and assembly members will also be attending. We hope you can come and invite your colleagues, family and friends. We will use masks, maintain physical distancing and abide by all public health measures. Sign RNAO’s Action Alert here and please plan to join the rally.


RNAO deeply disappointed with Premier Ford’s decision on mandatory vaccination

RNAO issued the following media release following the Nov. 3 government’s announcement.


Toronto, Nov. 3, 2021. The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is deeply disappointed by Premier Doug Ford’s decision to not move forward with mandating vaccinations for all health-care workers.

“This decision by Premier Ford is a disgrace and shows a lack of courage to do what’s right for Ontario’s patients and workers. To not implement a province-wide vaccination policy for all health-care workers puts the burden unfairly on employers and imposes a risk of infection on Ontarians receiving health services,” says RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun. “The majority of hospital CEOs have already weighed in and provided their support for mandatory vaccination for health-care workers. To not act immediately and go against the evidence is irresponsible.”

RNAO says the premier’s decision is mismanagement for several reasons. Premier Ford’s own minister of long-term care, Rod Phillips, announced on Oct. 1 that vaccination for all nursing home staff would be required by Nov. 15. “The premier supported this call, as did RNAO,” says Grinspun, adding the association has been calling for mandatory vaccination for all health-care workers since July. The premier is also aware that some large hospitals in Toronto, Windsor and Ottawa have already said they will move ahead with dismissal of those who choose to remain unvaccinated. He supports this position, and yet will not mandate it across the province.

In his statement today, Premier Ford expressed concern about the impact of the potential departure of “tens of thousands” of health-care workers with the mandating of COVID-19 vaccinations – a position Health Minister Christine Elliott refuted at the press conference that followed. RNAO knows that the main reason health-care workers – and in particular nurses – are leaving their work in Ontario is Bill 124 – and we have repeatedly urged Premier Ford to repeal this bill. 

“Premier, you say you are concerned with nurses leaving the profession, but you fail to mention that Bill 124 plays a huge role in the retention of nurses in Ontario,” says RNAO President Morgan Hoffarth. “Bill 124 caps compensation increases for nurses and other public sectors at just one per cent, which means nurses’ incomes are not keeping up with the cost of living. Nurses are exhausted and burnt out and a large part of why they are leaving is Bill 124. We invite you to join us on Nov. 14 at noon at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto to hear from nurses protesting against this legislation and the impact it is having on Ontarians and the profession.”

Mandatory vaccination directives have increased the uptake of vaccination in the general public and it is clear that policies, firm deadlines, mandatory education and easy access to COVID-19 vaccinations work to increase vaccination rates.


Ontario’s economic statement signals government’s concerns with nursing human resources

RNAO issued a media release following the Ontario government’s economic outlook and fiscal review on Nov. 4.


Toronto, Nov. 4, 2021. The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) applauds the government for recognizing the need to staff long-term care homes with the expertise of nurse practitioners (NP). As part of the government’s fall economic statement released in the legislature by Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy today, it promises to allocate funding to hire 225 NPs over three years, beginning with 75 positions in 2022-23. Given the devastation in that sector with 3,824 resident deaths through four waves of the pandemic, RNAO says NPs and their legislative authority to diagnose and prescribe will improve care and the quality of life for residents, reduce unnecessary transfers to hospitals, and help retain staff that will be better supported to provide care.  

RNAO welcomes the government’s plans to add and upskill RNs and RPNs to begin the task of building up Ontario’s nursing workforce. “It’s not nearly enough compared to the shortfall of 21,704 RNs in Ontario, but it is recognition that we must act to address the reality that the province has the lowest RN-to-population ratio in Canada,” says RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun.

Dr. Grinspun says that “the government’s plans to increase enrollment at nursing schools and add bridging programs to entice more PSWs and RPNs to become RNs are an essential part of a recruitment strategy. We need nurses to build their careers in Ontario rather than seeing them move to other Canadian jurisdictions and the United States, as is happening now,” laments RNAO’s CEO, reminding Premier Ford that nurses are also angered and being driven away by Bill 124 – legislation that limits wage increases to one per cent and which has the net effect of decreasing their income given increases in the cost of living. “This is why we will continue to insist that Premier Ford immediately repeal this bill.”  

RNAO remains unclear on how the government plans to realize its commitment to hire 27,000 nurses and PSWs by 2024-25 and provide each long-term care resident with the four hours of daily nursing and personal care it has pledged to deliver and that RNAO outlines in its Nursing Home Basic Care Guarantee. The association is also skeptical of the government’s plan to address the backlog of surgical procedures affecting thousands of Ontarians, most of which require RN expertise.  

Recognizing the need to relieve pressure on both the hospital and long-term care sectors and provide Ontarians with the opportunity to receive safe care in their own homes and communities, RNAO welcomes the government’s promise of $548.5 million over the next three years to expand home and community care. While the investment falls short of the 20 per cent boost in funding RNAO called for, it is an important start towards building a more robust community sector as outlined in the association’s visionary Enhancing Community Care for Ontarians report first released in 2012 and updated in 2014 and 2020, says Dr. Grinspun.

Nurses also welcome the news to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour effective Jan. 1 and indexed to the cost of living. While far below what is considered a living wage needed to lift people out of poverty, RNAO is pleased the government has recognized its error when it cancelled a planned increase to $15 by the previous Liberal government. “It’s insufficient to give people the dignity they need to live comfortably, however, we are glad the government understands the economic devastation the pandemic brought on those with limited means through no fault of their own,” says RNAO President Morgan Hoffarth.

The fall economic statement provided no response to the other pandemic that is devastating communities across Ontario: the growing number of opioid overdoses. Twenty-five hundred people died due to opioid overdose in Ontario in 2020 (according to the latest figures), an average of seven lives lost each day. RNAO is shocked people who use substances are left to cope on their own. “The government committed to fund 21 consumption and treatment service sites three years ago. There is no doubt that the need for these sites has increased and yet it hasn’t delivered on its promise,” says Hoffarth. “Persons who use substances, their loved ones and our communities are looking for help and the nurses who work with this vulnerable population are left to wonder why the government fails to see the importance of investing in harm reduction services that would save hundreds of lives.”

During a week when the world’s attention is fixed on COP26 in Scotland, the economic statement fails to address the importance of the climate crisis and the health effects on Ontarians, something RNAO says must be urgently addressed. RNAO is taking part in the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice at Queen’s Park (Saturday, Nov. 6, at 1 p.m. ET), alongside thousands of Ontarians calling on governments to address the climate emergency.


RNAO’s continuing media profile: The October 2021 report

On Nov. 3, the Ontario government announced it would not move forward with mandating COVID-19 vaccination for all health-care workers – a huge failure of the government to engage a necessary measure for which RNAO has advocated since July 2021. This came after the premier wrote to hospital administrators and other health-care stakeholders (including RNAO) on Oct. 15 asking for their input on this policy.  As expected, RNAO responded in support of a vaccine mandate, and so did 120 out of 140 hospitals as well as the Ontario Hospital Association. The premier, in rejecting the vaccine mandate, expressed concern about the impact of the potential departure of “tens of thousands” of health-care workers.

In a media release issued on Nov. 3 in response to the announcement, I said “this decision by Premier Ford is a disgrace and shows a lack of courage to do what’s right for Ontario’s patients and workers.” On CP24 (Nov. 3), I said the premier is creating a similar issue to what happened in the U.S. where unvaccinated workers moved to sectors that didn’t require vaccination. “My biggest fear is home care where you have very vulnerable people,” I stated.  On Nov. 4, I told 610 CKTB that “vaccines are a hugely important layer of protection. Patients need all the protection.” RNAO continues to urge Premier Ford to do the right thing and reverse this decision to protect Ontarians as the pandemic persists. Please RT urgently.

The same day the decision on mandatory vaccination was announced, the government also shared that as of Nov. 6, COVID-19 booster shot eligibility expands to include: people 70 years and older, those who received two doses of AstraZeneca, frontline health-care workers, and First Nations people.  I told Global News (Nov. 3) RNAO welcomes this announcement because health-care workers are “face-to-face with COVID-19 patients as well as taking care of other patients.”

RNAO also continues to insist that third shot boosters in rich countries such as Canada cannot come at the expense of providing the first shot to most of the population in the poorest countries in the world. The reality is that only 3% of people in the poorest countries are vaccinated, while 70% in the rich countries have had at least one shot. Rates of full vaccination are even lower. For example, in Nigeria, an African country with a population of 210 million people, only 3.1 million have been fully vaccinated (1.5%)! Addressing this gaping inequity between rich and poor is crucial if we want to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, as viruses don’t know frontiers.

Throughout the month of October, RNAO continued to speak to the media about the impact COVID-19 is having on nurses and other health-care workers. Specifically, we spoke about the vaccine mandate for long-term care (LTC) workers and the urgent need to extend it to all health-care workers across all health sectors, the Ontario government’s worrisome reopening plan, and our urgent call to repeal Bill 124. Below is a summary of themes and examples of our extensive media exposure in October.

On Oct. 1, Minister of LTC Rod Phillips announced a vaccine mandate for all in-home staff, support workers, students and volunteers in LTC, effective Nov. 15. RNAO issued a media release in response to the announcement commending the minister for taking this crucial step to protect LTC residents and calling on Premier Ford to go even further. On Oct. 7, I told Zoomer Radio  “we need to expand this to all sectors because unvaccinated staff are leaving long-term care and moving to home care.” The same day, I told Ottawa Sun, “Long-term care residents are among the most at risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from COVID-19.” As I told the Toronto Star on Oct. 15, mandates need to be across the board. If you haven’t already, sign and share RNAO’s Action Alert demanding Premier Ford mandate vaccination for all health-care and education workers and to establish safe zones to protect them.

Despite the lack of a province-wide directive, vaccine policies are in effect at many hospitals across the province. In several hospitals unvaccinated staff have been placed on unpaid leave or terminated. At Bluewater Health in Sarnia, roughly 30 to 40 hospital workers on Oct. 6 were presumed to be unvaccinated after refusing to disclose their vaccination status. These workers won’t lose their jobs as long as they show proof of an upcoming vaccine appointment. At Grant River Hospital in Kitchener, 171 staff members were put on unpaid leave after failing to meet the Oct. 12 deadline.

On Oct. 1, I said to the London Free Press that without a directive that extends to all nurses and other health-care workers, the result is an ineffective patchwork approach that leads to inconsistencies across the sector. “Enough is enough,” I said, adding that a palliative home care patient profiled in that newspaper’s story shouldn’t have to worry if they’re being put at risk by their care providers. “The RNAO has been asking, and was first out the door, on mandating vaccination of all health-care workers across all sectors and settings.” That’s the only way to prevent unvaccinated health-care workers from simply changing workplaces or sectors.

On Oct. 22, Premier Ford announced his government’s reopening plan for the next several months including a tentative timeline for lifting certain public health measures. The plan removed capacity limits for indoor settings (including bars, restaurants and gyms) on Oct. 25 and could see proof-of-vaccination requirements gone as early as January. RNAO issued a statement in response to this announcement expressing our disappointment. The government is gambling with people’s health as we move into the colder months. Following the announcement, I told iPolitics that I hope the province doesn’t fully reopen until March when more time can be spent outdoors. It is crucial that we keep these measures in place as winter begins, to keep our case count low.

RNAO continues to speak loudly and sharply about the nursing shortage – a human resources disaster with devastating consequences for the public and the functioning of the health system. Ontario has the lowest-RN-to-population ratio in the country! I strongly encourage you to listen to the hour-long CBC Radio call-in program Ontario Today, where I was privileged to be the guest. It was moving to hear the accounts of callers who shared their personal experiences on how the nursing shortage impacts them. It is critical that politicians, civil servants and employers hear the lived experience of frontline health-care workers and their family members, so they gain a deeper understanding of their suffering and the urgent need for action. I was heartbroken by nurses and their loved ones who shared their work experiences and the impact on their personal lives throughout the pandemic. Please know that RNAO is here to support you.

A critical issue contributing to the nursing shortage is Bill 124 – legislation that caps salary increases for nurses and other public sector workers to one per cent. I told CTV News Kitchener on Oct. 13: “More (nurses) will leave the profession because of Bill 124 than because of mandatory vaccination.” Nurses and other health-care workers have been the backbone of our health system during this pandemic and lowering their pay (in real terms when discounting inflation) is an insult to the dedication they’ve shown to their profession and all Ontarians. “We have to solve this. We are facing a mega-crisis in nursing and there’s not a peep about it from the premier or the minister of health,” I told  Toronto Sun on Oct. 25. Sign RNAO’s Action Alert calling on the premier to immediately repeal Bill 124.

I urge you to join RNAO -- with your co-workers, families and friends -- on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 12 p.m. ET at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto to protest Bill 124 and support nurses. RNAO’s President Morgan Hoffarth, President-Elect Claudette Holloway and several of our board and assembly members will be attending. I am honoured to be amongst the speakers and hope to see you there and please remember to follow all public health measures if you plan to attend, including wearing a mask and physical distancing.

RNAO will continue to speak out for our members and for health care as a whole. In October, our media outreach resulted in 300 hits. As always, visit our COVID-19 press room to stay updated with our media interviews and activities.


POLICY UPDATES FOR ALL TO ACT ON & MUST JOIN EVENTS – OPEN TO ALL


COVID-19 Webinar Series

Nov 8, 2021, 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Topic: How to stay civil, compassionate and evidence-based during heated COVID-19 interactions

Now that the province is opening up and people are beginning to interact more, many of us are engaged in charged conversations and interactions about mask use and vaccination status. These happen not only at work, but within our families, social circles and when we visit public places in our communities.

No matter the setting, tensions can run high and there is a risk of splintered relationships, alienation, verbal abuse and more. As nurses, our patients, families, friends and community members look to us for evidence-based information and support for how to navigate these complex and emotionally charged conflicts.

Join us on Monday, Nov. 8 from 2 - 4 p.m. ET to discuss the following questions:

  • What is at stake in these interactions and why are they so fraught with emotion?
  • What is the nurse's role in and outside of work?
  • How do we stay civil and compassionate and avoid strife and alienation?

Note: the session will not be recorded.

Presenter: Dr. Doris Grinspun, RNAO CEO

REGISTER NOW

Recordings and documents from earlier webinars can be found here.


Best Practice Champions Virtual Workshop - Session 1

Nov 10, 2021, 9:00am - 12:00pm

Register now

The Best Practice Champions Network team has established a new, two-part Best Practice Champions Virtual Workshop similar to the curriculum delivered at the in-person champions workshop. This free, online educational opportunity consists of a brief pre-recorded introductory video, and two live virtual sessions to be completed in sequential order. 

The Best Practice Champions Virtual Workshop will replace RNAO’s Virtual Learning Series and in-person champions workshops during the coming months. The Virtual Workshop will be offered twice per month, with a session (either session 1 or 2) taking place each week, providing you will ample opportunity to select the live session that best suits your work schedule. This online educational opportunity can be completed individually or as a group. 

The Virtual Workshop sessions are each 3 hours in length; these live sessions must be completed in sequential order by December 2021 in order for you to become a Best Practice Champion and receive your Champion's certificate. You must register for Session 1 and Session 2 separately.*

After each live, online session, participants are expected to complete reflections and activities based on the content presented in each session. 

After completing the pre-recorded introductory video and attending Sessions 1 and 2, you will become a Best Practice Champion and member of the Best Practice Champions Network. You will receive a certificate of completion after all elements of the training are complete. 

Similar to the in-person workshop but in a virtual format, participants are introduced to best practice guidelines and will learn how to successfully implement them using RNAO's Toolkit: Implementation of Best Practice Guidelines, Second Edition.

Outline of the Best Practice Virtual Champions Workshop

Pre-recorded Introduction webinar: 

  • Overview of RNAO
  • Overview of Best Practice Guidelines 
  • Role of the Best Practice Champion

Session 1:

  • Introduction to Social Movement 
  • Chapter 1 – Identify a Problem & Identify, Review, Select Knowledge
  • Chapter 2 – Adapt Knowledge to the Local Context 

Session 2 :

  • Chapter 3 – Assess Facilitators and Barriers to Knowledge Use
  • Chapter 4 - Select, Tailor, Implement Interventions/Implementation Strategies
  • Chapter 5 - Monitor Knowledge Use & Evaluate Outcomes
  • Chapter 6 - Sustain Knowledge Use

*Please note, this registration is only for Session 1 of the two-part Best Practice Champions Virtual Workshop. Please register for Session 2 at RNAO.ca/events

Find out more about the Best Practice Champions Virtual Workshop.


Addressing Substance Use Level 2 Virtual Workshop - Session 2

Nov 11, 2021, 10:00am - 12:00pm

*Please note, you must complete Session 1 prior to attending Session 2. This is a  two-part Addressing Substance Use Level 2 Virtual Workshop. Please register for Session 1 at RNAO.ca/events. 

The RNAO Addressing Substance Use Level 2 Virtual Workshop is for nurses and health professionals with experience working with clients who use substances and who would like to advance their knowledge of this group.

This workshop consists of two sessions, each being two hours in length use the Zoom platform; these live sessions must be completed in sequential order by March 20, 2021, in order for you to become a Mental Health Champion and receive your Champion's certificate.   

Workshop prerequisite: Completion of a Mental Health and Addiction Level 1 workshop or completion of the Engaging Clients Who Use Substances e-learning (Under Addiction and Mental Health)

This online workshop will focus on appropriate evidence-based assessment tool to identify people with substance use disorders, therapeutic interventions and techniques to treat clients with substance use disorders and approaches to integrate best practices in clinical care and organizational processes.

REGISTER NOW


NP Knowledge Exchange Virtual Symposium

Nov 23, 2021, 9:00am - 4:00pm (virtual VIA Zoom)

On Nov. 23, 2021, RNAO is holding its eighth invitational Nurse Practitioner (NP) Knowledge Exchange Virtual Symposium, titled "Powered by Change." This annual event offers RNAO's NP members a unique opportunity to discuss matters important to their critical role in Ontario’s health system.

The NP Knowledge Exchange Symposium's objectives are to:

  • update knowledge about the NP Task Force's Vision for Tomorrow: recommendations, action and outcomes;
  • share and discuss how the clinical, policy and governance roles of NPs during COVID-19 are impacting the system and can power health transformation;
  • embrace the collaborative efforts and relationships between RNAO and its NP interest group (NPIG);
  • mobilize Ontario’s health transformation agenda incorporating opportunities and strategies to advance full NP supply, utilization and scope expansion;
  • galvanize NP engagement on global and local initiatives impacting health transformation and the role of the NP; and
  • showcase a vibrant public education campaign spotlighting the role and capacity of NPs.

View the 2021 NP Virtual Knowledge Exchange Symposium Agenda.

REGISTER NOW

Related Documents:   NP Virtual Knowledge Exchange Symposium Agenda 2021


MOH EOC Situational Report

We are posting each day the Daily Situational Reports from Ontario's MOH EOC at RNAO’s website. That way, you can access the Ministry’s guidance at any time.

For a detailed Ontario epidemiological summary from Public Health Ontario, you can go here.

According to the latest Situation Report #549 for November 5, the case count was as follows: 602,087 total, +563 change from yesterday; 9,896 deaths, +5 change from yesterday.

No updates for today.


Staying in touch          

Keeping in touch and being part of a community helps us get through challenging times. Keep telling us how we, at RNAO, can best support you. Send us your questions, comments, and challenges. Recommend ideas for articles and webinars. Write to me at dgrinspun@rnao.ca and copy my executive assistant, Peta-Gay (PG) Batten at pgbatten@rnao.ca. RNAO’s Board of Directors and our entire staff want you to know: WE ARE HERE FOR YOU!

Thank you – again and again – for being there for your community, everywhere and in all roles! Together, in solidarity, we are stronger. Thanks for encouraging your colleagues, their loved ones, and your communities to be fully vaccinated. Let’s also remember about our privilege. Canada has purchased more vaccines than what it needs, while the majority of the world’s population has almost nothing. Like with other challenges we face – systemic discrimination and climate change – we are not safe until everyone is safe. Vaccines for all – literally for all, across the world – must guide policy in the upcoming months. Let’s learn from the 21-month pandemic and take real action to build a better world.

To everyone – THANK YOU! Please take care of yourself and know that RNAO always stands by you!

Here’s one constant throughout the pandemic. The silver lining of COVID-19 has been to come together and work as one people for the good of all. Let’s join efforts to demand that political leaders protect patients, students, and workers – and secure #Vaccines4All.

Doris Grinspun, RN,MSN, PhD, LLD(hon), Dr(hc), FAAN, FCAN, O.ONT
Chief Executive Officer, RNAO


RECENT BLOG ITEMS:

30 Oct - Hospitals ‘bleeding out’ as nursing shortage intensifies – go here.

30 Oct - The Lancet calls for emergency action to tackle climate change, restore biodiversity, and protect health – go here.

24 Oct - Big tech has a vaccine misinformation problem – go here.

24 Oct - RNAO is deeply disappointed with government’s reopening plan – go here.

24 Oct- Misinformation is an urgent threat that prolongs the pandemic and puts people at risk – go here.

17 Oct - Health organizations around the world: Urgent climate action required – go here.

17 Oct - Climate change the new public health emergency – go here.

17 Oct - A crucial moment for global public health: The Glasgow climate conference – go here.

10 Oct - RNAO launches new, evidence-based online implementation toolkit – go here.

10 Oct - Media release: Mandate vaccinations and establish safe zones – go here.

10 Oct - A renewed call: Prime minister, stop the court battle with First Nations children! – go here.

10 Oct - The inherent racism of anti-vaxx movements – go here.

3 Oct - RNAO’s continuing media profile: The September 2021 report – go here.

3 Oct - RNAO commends move to mandate vaccination for long-term care staff; urges for more – go here.

3 Oct - Action Alert – Stop fighting First Nation children in court: Concrete action on Truth & Reconciliation – go here.

25 Sept - Accelerating knowledge uptake and sustainability – learning from the Leading Change Toolkit – go here.

25 Sept - Connecting the dots – far right extremism as a serious health threat – go here.

25 Sept - How anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists, and the far-right came together over COVID – go here.

25 Sept - The anti-vax movement is being radicalized by far-right political extremism – go here.

19 Sept - Nurses urge Canadians to vote – go here.

19 Sept - Keeping schools open and safe – learning from Spain’s exceptional experience – go here.

11 Sept - Vote in the federal election! Nurses vote for a healthy recovery for all Canadians – go here.

11 Sept - Federal election: Which party has the best climate plan? Here’s where they stand – go here.

11 Sept - Where the parties stand on gun control in the 2021 federal election – go here.

4 Sept - RNAO condemns protests outside health organizations – go here.

4 Sept - RNAO’s continuing media profile: The August 2021 report – go here.

4 Sept - RNAO welcomes important steps to implement vaccine certificates – go here.

We have posted earlier ones in my blog here. I invite you to look.