Hello Primary Care Nurses of Ontario members,
We have heard from our nurse PCNO members across the province that it has been a long winter in Primary Care –but perhaps we are approaching a mini breather from respiratory illness in our offices as we come into summer 2023. I hope you all are able to take vacation and enjoy time with your family, friends and take some time for yourselves.
Your PCNO executive is currently planning some "lunch and learn" sessions for the upcoming months. If you have any requests for topics, speakers and or day of the week, or time of day, please email us at any time at info@pcno.ca
Perhaps you or colleagues of yours have a topic you would like to present to PCNO members. If you do, contact us today!
Your feedback needed for AGM and conference planning
Your PCNO executive needs your feedback on the AGM and the 2024 bi-annual conference. We appreciate you taking the time to complete the two polls below. For anyone who completes both polls by Friday, June 16th, 2023, your name will be entered into a draw for two $100 prize packs. Winners will be announced by the end of June 2023.
- Date for PCNO AGM: Pre-pandemic we would host our Annual General Meetings at various times over the years. Some years they were in conjunction with the bi-annual conference, or in other years at the RNAO AGM. At the end of June, the RNAO is hosting their AGM in person, the PCNO will not be hosting any events or an AGM of our own this year due to conflict schedules with your executive. We, the executive need your input on when you would like your AGM to be, please complete the poll at this link: https://forms.gle/7iD2wUZg6sBL6vGm7
- Host city/ town for 2024 bi-annual conference: In 2023, Ottawa hosted us all for the bi-annual conference. We had a great turnout in person and virtually. As summer approaches, your executive will be starting to plan the 2024 bi-annual conference. Our first step is to lock down the host town/city, so we need your input! In the link below you will find a poll for various questions of feedback that the executive need from you, the PCNO members. The options for the host city are based on responses from the 2023 conference. Once this is done, by late summer/early fall your executive will lock down the venue. Later this fall there will be a call out to create a conference committee. Please complete the poll at this link: https://forms.gle/2js8LBH3nqKCQoSZ7
Preventive cancer screening
Did you know you can get a monthly email from your regional cancer care program? It provides information on referral pathways, wait times, and screening rates. All very helpful information when doing cancer screening in your clinics. If you don't have the contact info, please reach out and we can direct you to your region.
Executive elections
Elections will begin later this summer for anyone wanting to join your executive team. If you have any interest or questions, please reach out – your president, Amber Brown, will connect with you.
Education opportunities
See below for upcoming training opportunities.
- BETTER training funding is being provided for those primary care nurses who work in Central East Ontario. If you are interested, please reach out to them directly - centraleast.csp@lh.ca
- The South West and Central East Regional Cancer Programs are proving cervical screening training for nurses within the region for more information please reach out to them directly - Central East: centraleast.csp@lh.ca - South West: rachel.biggar@lhsc.on.ca
- Interpretation of Lab Tests in London, Ontario on September 25, 2023. For more info and registration, please visit www.nursingLinks.ca
- Wounds Canada National Conference, September 28-30- Hosted by Wounds Canada For details and registration click here.
- Increasing Access to Primary Care webinar, Tuesday, June 27 at 1:00 pm- Hosted through Longwoods. For details, click here.
If you are aware of any upcoming education opportunities for primary care nurses, please share them with us via email at info@pcno.ca!
Thank you for all of your hard work in primary care – we know the days are long, and at times tough. It has become increasingly difficult to show up to work in a sector that is severely underfunded by our government. Our current government has only given a $30 million increase for the whole province that provides primary care. We encourage you to reach out to your local MPPs and advocate for funding. We are alongside you every day fighting to be better represented in this province. For those of you that belong to Family Health Teams (FHTs), please know that the Association of Family Health Teams (AFHTO) is currently advocating for FHTs to get an increase in salaries. If you would like any support from your executive to help you communicate with your local MPP, please reach out.
Again, thank you.
Your 2023 PCNO president,
Amber Brown, RPN