RPNs on the frontlines of advocacy at Queen’s Park
This past November, 50 WeRPN members and staff took to Queen’s Park to voice the needs of RPNs directly to decision makers at our annual Advocacy Day. The day included 17 productive one-on-one conversations with key politicians and staff, as well as a packed lunch reception with almost 100 attendees, including seven key Ministers.
Our delegation spent much of the day reiterating the priorities detailed in our Budget submission, which is structured around three key areas.
Recognizing the critical need to retain our current nursing workforce, we spoke about the importance of investing in RPNs and providing opportunities for professional advancement. This request included a recommendation for the government to make the BEGIN funding stream permanent to ensure RPNs can continue to receive this benefit for decades to come.
The second concern we brought forward was burnout, an issue many of our members are far too familiar with. Many members shared personal stories and experiences, highlighting the detrimental impact of inadequate staffing on the mental health of nurses and overall safety in the workplace. As a solution, we recommended introducing legislation mandating safe nurse-to-patient ratios across all healthcare settings, including hospitals and long-term care.
Finally, our members recommended increased and harmonized RPN wages to match the expertise and expansion of the roles, responsibilities and workload of RPNs.
We are grateful to every member who joined us for our fall Advocacy Day. Your participation amplified our message and strengthened our collective voice, and the conversations you had with decision makers are vital to shaping the future of nursing. We appreciate your dedication to making a difference and hope to see you later this year at our next Advocacy Day!
Election advocacy: amplifying the voices of RPNs
During the 2025 election, we were hard at work ensuring our membership was armed with the tools they needed to advocate for WeRPN policy objectives with candidates of all parties.
During the February campaign period, we provided members with an election toolkit, including an overview of key asks, advocacy dos and don’ts, details about campaign promises from all major parties related to nurses and the broader healthcare system, social media engagement guidelines and suggested questions for candidates and canvassers.
Recognizing the importance of digital advocacy, WeRPN was also active on social media during the election to amplify the voices of RPNs. We shared compelling content across our platforms, designed to raise awareness of the issues facing RPNs and encourage action. We urged our followers to contact their local candidates, share their own experiences, and participate in the election to make the concerns of RPNs heard loud and clear.
Finally, our CEO, Dianne Martin, and President of WeRPN’s Board of Directors, Angela Corneil, shared thought leadership pieces on LinkedIn in the days leading up to the election to underscore the importance of investing in our RPNs.
Whether it was through empowering our members to take action with the campaign toolkit, sharing the most pressing issues facing RPNs on social media, or engaging in an informative conversation on LinkedIn via thought leadership, WeRPN was active during this election campaign and will continue to be your advocate with government and healthcare professionals.
