Nursing Students

Nursing Students are Affiliate Members of ONA

The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) is the union that represents 60,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals and more than 14,000 nursing student affiliates who provide care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry throughout the province.

At the biennial convention in December 2008, ONA members overwhelming adopted a constitutional amendment to establish a new student affiliate membership classification for Ontario members of the Canadian Nursing Students’ Association (CNSA).

Almost all nursing students in the province are automatically affiliate members of ONA.

If you are studying nursing at a college or university in Ontario, you are most likely an affiliate member of ONA and have the right to participate in the activities of your union including education workshops and membership meetings.

Document Download: How ONA benefits nursing students (2012)

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Education

Nursing student affiliate members are encouraged to participate in the free education offered by ONA. Check out the workshop calendar to find out what's being offered and when you need to register.

You should register for workshops in the same way that all ONA members do, by contacting the Membership Education and Events Team (MEET) prime. Contact information for the MEET primes is on page 11 of the ONA Education Brochure.

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Financial Aid & Bursaries

Information about limited student financial aid and bursaries, is available in the Education section on the Financial Aid & Bursaries page.

Nursing Graduate Guarantee for New Ontario Graduate Nurses

The Nursing Graduate Guarantee for New Ontario Graduate Nurses is a program of the Government of Ontario that is aimed at ensuring new nursing graduates (RN and RPN) will have the opportunity to work full-time in the province. Through this program the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care provides funding for temporary full-time nursing positions that, based on the needs of and money available to the participating employers, last for a minimum of 12 weeks (3 months) and a maximum of 32 weeks (7.5 months).

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YouTube, Twitter and Facebook

Check out ONA’s YouTube channel — YouTube.com/OntarioNurses — and follow our communications team on Twitter — Twitter.com/OntarioNurses. Plus, like ONA's Facebook page.

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Comments & Suggestions

Nursing student affiliate membership in ONA is still very new. So as you get involved in your union, please share your thoughts and suggestions about what ONA can do for you.

E-mail: president@ona.org.