Sudbury's nurses will have the opportunity to discuss their concerns and challenges with Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) president Angela Cooper Brathwaite during her fall tour on Oct. 30.
This is the fourth year in a row that the RNAO is holding a fall tour, and the second time that the president of the organization will be stopping in Sudbury when she meets with registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and nursing students at the Caruso Club Tuesday night.
"We are eager to hear first-hand from nurses in the communities where they live and work and learn about how we can better meet the needs of Ontarians," said Brathwaite in a media release. "We encourage all nurses and nursing students to come out and speak about the important issues to them and the populations they serve."
Sudbury is one of six stops on the fall tour that Brathwaite and RNAO CEO Doris Grinspun will be making.
The challenges facing nurses spread across the province, with fears of potential cuts, workload, and concerns about the province's decision not to move forward with a $15 minimum wage.
While there are some questions and concerns among the province's nursing workforce, RNAO Sudbury chapter president David Groulx says there are some things to be excited about that he expects will be discussed on Tuesday evening.
"We'll probably hear about the excitement about the recent announcement from the provincial government about continuing to support supervised injection services and overdose prevention services," said Groulx.
The Sudbury chapter president expects between 40-50 nurses and nursing students to be in attendance for Tuesday's discussion. Brathwaite will take the feedback she receives and return it to the RNAO executive staff in order to get an overall perspective of issues affecting nurses around the province.
"That certainly helps formulate any sort of advocacy efforts of RNAO," said Groulx. "This will also help look at any resources to support our nurses and best practice documents."
Having the president of RNAO out in different communities is tremendously beneficial according to Groulx, but the discussions are also an important outlet for nurses in different parts of the province to tap into what's being done at the top of the organization.
"It's an opportunity for our members to hear from the president and hear her vision and priorities, and what she sees in other areas," said Groulx.
Tuesday's meeting will be held at the Caruso Club (358 Haig St.) starting at 6 p.m.
