SNIG Spring Newsletter, May 6, 2026
Dear SNIG Members,
Happy Nurses Week!
Thank you for your ongoing support of SNIG. As of April 15, our membership includes 156 RN and NP professionals and 456 students. Over the past months, we have hosted several informative webinars. If you have not yet attended, these sessions are available for viewing on the SNIG website (https://chapters-igs.RNAO.ca/interestgroup/9/about) and are highly recommended.
For correspondence with the SNIG executive, please email: [email protected].
This month marks my final term as Chair of SNIG. I am pleased to announce that, following the RNAO AGM on May 28-29, Damali Austin and Merit Sadek will assume the roles of co-chairs. Both have been valuable members of our executive team; Damali recently earned her Master’s Degree in Nursing, and Merit is a recent graduate working in primary care and education.
We would also like to recognize our student ENOs – Aveen Abdoli, Kimberly Nabukenya and Jasmine Chopra – who actively participate in meetings and produced an engaging and entertaining webinar in February. The webinar featured a Jeopardy-style game show with nursing-related questions, and we encourage them to present it again next year. Currently, they are developing a social media campaign for Nurses Week.
RN Prescribing Subgroup/SNIG
Last fall, Ruby Amoncio joined SNIG as an RN prescriber and now leads a subgroup focused on RN prescribing interests and practices. Ruby has been proactive in organizing webinars and is establishing an online support group for practical learning, information sharing, and case study discussions. She and a colleague have submitted a resolution to be presented at the RNAO AGM.
If you are a nurse prescriber and a SNIG member interested in joining these sessions, please contact Ruby at email: [email protected].
Highlights from Queen's Park Day Assembly, Feb. 25-27
- The release of the new best practice guideline, Addressing Anti-Black Racism in Nursing, was met with both celebration and heartfelt emotion. Several nurses shared their experiences with racism during their education and careers, including being overlooked for promotions and feeling the need for additional qualifications to advance. This BPG sheds light on the historical discrimination and marginalization faced by Black nurses and nursing students. Its goal is to expose and ultimately eradicate racism within the nursing profession. As Doris Grinspun aptly stated, “We can’t eliminate racism in the world but we can eliminate it in nursing.”
- RNAO president-elect Sue LeBeau enthusiastically discussed the Ontario government’s $3.4 billion investment from 2025 to 2029 in the Primary Care Action Plan. This represents the largest investment in primary care to date, funding 130 new and expanded primary care teams to improve access. The plan aims to ensure that everyone has access to a health team by 2029, with hopes that RNs and NPs will be fully utilized within their scopes of practice. Support for nurse-practitioner-led clinics is also included.
Self-Care for Nurses
Our most recent webinar, held on April 13 and titled Work Life Balance: How is your Soul?, was presented by SNIG member Paula Manuel. Recognizing the stress and challenges inherent in nursing, which operates around the clock, Paula emphasized the importance of developing a spiritual practice to maintain mental health and nurture the soul. She likened this practice to a vaccination against stress. This practice varies for each individual and is not necessarily religious. We encourage you to watch her presentation, available on the SNIG website (https://chapters-igs.RNAO.ca/interestgroup/9/about), which offers practical strategies for self-care. Examples include setting daily intentions such as “What is this day bringing me?” and embracing the present moment with grace, quiet, and self-love.
Paula also authors the award-winning blog lifeofanurse.com, which enjoys a global readership. We invite you to explore it.
Thank you for your vital contributions to the health and wellbeing of Ontarians. Wishing you a restful and enjoyable summer.
Sincerely,
Brenda Hutton Chair, SNIG, RNAO