RNAO recognizes the continued importance of sharing stories and perspectives from the Black community and is celebrating Black History Month in February. This past year, RNAO has remained dedicated to its advocacy and work to bring awareness to and end anti-Black racism and discrimination, especially in the nursing profession. In partnership with its members, RNAO has made progress in addressing the systemic racism within nursing, as well as all health-care sectors and academic settings.

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.

Ontario is in a nursing human resource crisis that has been made worse by Bill 124 and the COVID-19 pandemic. RNAO issued a call on December 7 to all Ontario MPPs: #StandWithNurses by demanding Bill 124 be repealed. As of now, ALL MPPs from the three opposition parties have signed the pledge. None from the PC Party and none of the independent MPPs have signed.

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) says the province’s nursing crisis is spiraling out of control. Yet the Ontario government insists on keeping Bill 124, which nurses say is a slap in the face. RNAO will hold a media conference on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 2:30 p.m. ET to call on the premier to take immediate action, and discuss crucial next steps to address Bill 124 and Ontario’s nursing crisis.

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?

Ontario has had a shortage of registered nurses for decades. Yet this is the worst crisis I have seen in my entire career. The enormous stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic; the disdain of the Ontario government embodied in Bill 124 – these, have turned a serious shortage into a mega crisis.

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.