BARRY’S BAY –Renfrew-Nipising-Pembroke MPP John Yakabuski was at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in Bay on May 15 to join Nurse Janet Lynch in her work place as part of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) annual Take Your MPP to Work event.
Now in its 15th year, the event gives politicians an up-close look at how registered nurses (RN) and nurse practitioners (NP) work, across a broad range of sectors, to keep Ontarians healthy and care for them when they are ill. It also provides politicians with a snapshot of the health system’s needs, so they can bring that knowledge back to Queen’s Park, says RNAO President Vanessa Burkoski.
“The best policy is informed by first-hand experience,” said Ms. Burkoski, a former Provincial Chief Nursing Officer. “Take Your MPP to Work brings Ontario’s policymakers right into the heart of the health system, where they can see what’s working, and where more RNs are needed to provide outstanding care to the province’s people.”
“Nursing is as important as any other component of projects undertaken by hospitals and other health organizations to improve the quality, efficiency and safety of health care,” said MPP Yakabuski. “Nurses play a very meaningful role in the health and well-being of the patients they support, and I tip my hat to them for a job well done,” he added.
This year marks the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario’s (RNAO) 90th anniversary. 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 RNAO.ca or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
