Nurses share their successes and challenges during National Nursing Week (May 9-15)
TORONTO, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - National Nursing Week is just around the corner, and members of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) are set to celebrate the improvements they've made to patient care, and push for positive change for the health of Ontarians.
Nursing Week will be held from May 9-15, and will give Canadians the chance to thank the outstanding nurses who work tirelessly to keep them healthy. But the week is also an opportunity for nurses to share the ins and outs of their practice with political leaders, and the public at large.
RNAO's annual Take Your MPP to Work event kicks off during Nursing Week. Now in its 16th year, the event gives the province's legislators a closer look at the realities of Ontario health care, as they come to work with nurses at public health units, community health centres, hospitals, long-term care homes, and just about everywhere nurses practise. This year, dozens of MPPs will participate, including PC Health Critic Jeff Yurek, NDP Health Critic France Gélinas, and multiple cabinet ministers.
"What an incredible opportunity for our elected officials to learn what makes our health system tick," says Carol Timmings, incoming president of RNAO. "Registered nurses (RN), nurse practitioners (NP) and nursing students have tremendous knowledge and skills to impart to their MPPs, which they can bring back to Queen's Park to shape healthy public policy in the future."
A full list of Take Your MPP to Work events is available on RNAO's website.
Nursing Week is also cause for celebration, and seven health organizations across Ontario will be celebrating successfully incorporating the latest health research and evidence into their clinical practice at a series of media events. Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, North Bay Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, Renfrew Victoria Hospital, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Thunder Bay District Health Unit, St. Joseph's Care Group and Pioneer Ridge Long-Term Care are Best Practice Spotlight Organizations (BPSO), meaning they are systematically implementing RNAO's world-renowned best practice guidelines.
"The BPSO program has had a tremendous impact on patient care and outcomes in Ontario, across Canada, and the world over," says RNAO CEO Doris Grinspun, who founded the program in 2003. "Dedicated organizations like these are foundational to optimizing evidence uptake, and that leads to better outcomes for patients, organizations and health systems. They truly deserve to take a bow."
Representatives from these BPSOs will speak about the impact evidence-based practices have had at their organizations during Nursing Week media conferences:
- Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit
Tuesday, May 10, 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
458 Laurier Blvd., Brockville, Ont.
Contact: Susan Healey
613-345-5685
613-802-0550 (cell)
[email protected]
- North Bay Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic
Thursday, May 12, 8 - 10 a.m.
524 Lakeshore Dr., Unit 1, North Bay, Ont.
Contact:
Leeann Whitney, 705-478-7671, ext. 209
[email protected]
- Renfrew Victoria Hospital
Thursday, May 12, 9 - 10 a.m.
Groves Park Lodge (GEM Hall), 470 Raglan St. North, Renfrew, Ont.
Contact: Chris Ferguson
613-432-4851, ext. 225
[email protected]
- Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Thunder Bay District Health Unit, St. Joseph's Care Group and Pioneer Ridge Long-Term Care
Wednesday, May 11, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
St. Joseph's Heritage (Georgian Room), 63 Carrie St., Thunder Bay, Ont.
Contact: Kim Callaghan
807-346-5226
[email protected]
More information about the Nursing Week festivities is available at NursingWeek.RNAO.ca
The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health-care system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public they serve. For more information about RNAO, visit our website at RNAO.ca or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
SOURCE Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario
For more information or to interview a nurse, please contact: Daniel Punch, Communications Officer/Writer, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), Phone: 416-408-5606 / 1-800-268-7199 ext. 250, [email protected]
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