TORONTO, March 2, 2023 /CNW/ – A strong and vibrant nursing workforce is the key to a well-functioning health system and a healthy population. To ensure the health and wellbeing of Ontarians, government must dedicate full attention to nursing and provide adequate and sustained funding and supports, argues a new report by the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO).
Released Thursday during RNAO’s 23rd annual Queen’s Park Day, Nursing Career Pathways examines the nursing profession and the opportunities before the government to build nursing careers and fix Ontario’s health system. The report also highlights the barriers to retaining and recruiting nurses in Ontario – inadequate and inequitable compensation and unsafe and unhealthy workloads – and identifies opportunities for short-term and longer-term improvements.
Educating the public and elected officials about nursing and providing detailed health human resources information on the nursing crisis, the report demonstrates the richness and breadth of the profession. RNAO President Dr. Claudette Holloway says “this report will encourage nurses to reflect on their role and become inspired by their colleagues, their profession, and most importantly, themselves. Our report celebrates all nurses.”
Nursing inspires, attracts and fulfills people who choose to care for others. And it is a profession of lifelong learning, with nurses constantly drawing on their education and the experience they gain throughout their careers and from their mentors. “The nursing profession is a world of opportunities, with many education and career pathways, each pathway deserving equal recognition and support,” says Holloway. The report features several Ontario nurses and nursing students showcasing diverse and rich journeys available to personal support workers, registered practical nurses (RPN), registered nurses, (RN) and nurse practitioners (NP).