As a Nurse Practitioner (NP), the critical work that you do every day helps to keep Ontarians healthy and safe. We understand the issues you face in your work because we have experienced them first-hand.
The Ontario Nurses’ Association is the leading voice in efforts to ensure that you are recognized and acknowledged through collective agreements and workplace contracts. And our efforts representing NPs are paying off. There was a major breakthrough in the 2016 round of hospital central bargaining with an average of 6.35% wage increase for NPs’ start rates.
The contract established a minimum base start rate of $48.70 for NPs which is a significant building block for future bargaining to achieve a harmonized wage grid for NPs in Ontario hospitals. This recognition is imperative to the recruitment and retention of NPs and maintaining the quality of health care.
ONA has proven to be effective in our work advancing the interests of nurse practitioners to government:
- Meeting with ministers, the Chief Nursing Officer of Ontario and their staff regularly.
- With a province-wide campaign, Recognize violence. Report it fighting for a comprehensive strategy to stop workplace violence.
- With Nurses Know, a province-wide campaign demanding a moratorium on RN cuts.
As an ONA member, you have direct access to our services and membership benefits including:
- Access to our Legal Expense Assistance Plan (LEAP) for practice-related issues. See our fact sheet on LEAP.
- Our professional education programs, with many workshops conducted across the province.
- The Professional Responsibility Clause which provides you a way to report practice concerns in your workplace. See our fact sheet on this process that enables you to address concerns about your ability to practice safely and have a manageable workload.
- Professional practice specialists, health and safety professionals, WSIB specialists, and human rights and equity specialists who can assist you with these issues.
- ONA benefits program which provides base long-term disability for members not covered through their employer.
In everything that we do, we are committed to improving the economic welfare and quality of work-life for our members, enabling them to provide high-quality health care.
Resources
Listen to our Nurse Practitioner Podcast
Workload Report Forms
News and Updates
November 3, 2021: Letter to the Attorney-General “Request to add Nurse Practitioners to ineligible occupations under the Juries Act”
Video Greeting to Nurse Practitioners
Nurse Practitioners’ Focus Group
ONA has established a nurse practitioner (NP) provincial focus group to ensure there is a consistent voice for ONA’s NPs.
This focus group consists of five NPs, one from each region across the province, along with ONA staff leads for Professional Practice, Hospitals, LTC and Community; and Cathryn Hoy, ONA’s Provincial First Vice-President.
Meet ONA’s NP Focus Group
Marie Greer-King, BScN, MN, NP-PHC
Marie Greer-King, BScN, MN, NP-PHC
Marie completed her undergraduate degree in Nursing at Western University in 2005. She worked as an RN in the areas of pediatrics and postpartum care in London and Stratford hospitals. She was a unit representative and the treasurer for local 100 in 2009 & 2010.
In 2008 she returned to Western part time to complete the Masters of Nursing degree and Primary Health Care NP program. She has been practicing as a PHC-NP since 2011. She spent her first year of NP practice at the Grand Bend Area CHC and has been working as the only NP at the Alexandra Marine & General Hospital (AM&GH) since 2012. At AM&GH, Marie provides primary care to patients and their families in the emergency department, prenatal clinic and mental health inpatient units.
In 2017, Marie represented ONA NPs on the NP Wage Grid committee in negotiations with OHA. When Marie is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family in beautiful Goderich.
Poonam Sehgal, BScN, MScN, PHC-NP
Poonam Sehgal, BScN, MScN, PHC-NP
Poonam Sehgal is a passionate and tenured nurse practitioner who works with patients from many population groups. Her “patient first” mindset enables her to continually provide the best care for her patients with a preventative strategy.
Poonam also has worked as an evaluator for nurse practitioner students and spends time mentoring students with some of the leading edge technology within medicine within her scope.
Poonam obtained her undergraduate nursing degree from Ryerson University in 2004. She went further to obtain her masters with a clinical focus in Geriatrics in 2009 and continued to receive her Primary healthcare nurse practitioner certificate in 2011.
During her time as a nurse practitioner, Poonam has worked in various areas. She started her career in family medicine, and then proceeded to work in mental health and became a Clinical Director at a NP-led clinic in Scarborough. She now currently works for the CELHIN on the NPSTAT team.
Natalie Cameron, NP
Natalie Cameron, NP
My name is Natalie Cameron and I am a Nurse Practitioner. I hold a Masters degree in Nursing from Laurentian University, specializing in Primary Health Care. My undergraduate studies include a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Laurentian University and a Bachelor of Arts in English and History from the University of Western Ontario.
I have 12 years of nursing experience. I have spent most of my career in the ICU. Currently I am settling into my new role as a Nurse Practitioner and am learning the realities of our healthcare system and patient experiences that have a significant impact on our professional value, our role and its future.
I am a proud and loyal member of ONA. In the past, I have held unit representative positions. Over the years, this expanded to include a position in a local contract negotiating committee. In terms of labor relations, I find the support and guidance of ONA genuine, professional and strong.
I am excited and eager to participate in this new ONA Nurse Practitioner focus group. As legislation has allowed the role, autonomy and responsibilities of the NP to swiftly expanded over the last decade, we are discovering unique needs within the workplace. I feel that this focus group is a step forward to understanding, supporting and promoting NP professional practice in our workplaces, so that we may continue to provide the great care that our patients deserve. I look forward to collaborating within this focus group, with full ONA support.
Sophorn Him, NP-PHC
Sophorn Him, NP-PHC
Sophorn Him, NP-PHC, is serving as a member of ONA’s Nurse Practitioner Focus Group. She has a total of 13 years nursing experience and started her RN career at Cambridge Memorial Hospital with a majority of her work in the Intensive Care Unit.
She pursued further education and graduated from Athabasca University with a Master’s in Advanced Nursing Practice in 2013. She has been practising as a Primary Nurse Practitioner at the Guelph Community Health Centre for the last 7 years providing care to vulnerable populations such as those with mental health, addictions and new immigrants.
In addition, she is ONA’s Bargaining Unit President at the Guelph Community Health Centre. Sophorn is keen on working with ONA and its NP members to represent and voice their interests.
Sonia MacDonald, NP
Sonia MacDonald, NP
Sonia MacDonald graduated from York University with Bachelor Degree in Nursing. Sonia started her nursing career in the Paediatric ICU at SickKids Hospital as a Registered Nurse. Her love of family centred care and teaching, prompted her to join the education team in the PICU where an initiative to hire and orientate 36 new RN graduates to the PICU was implemented.
Sonia took her love of teaching back to York University where she was a Clinical Course Director in the Paediatric Nursing course and then later in Health Assessment, Community Nursing and Integrated Practicum. Her passion for learning and teaching led her back to York University for her Masters of Science in Nursing and Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate, graduating as a Nurse Practitioner in 2010. As a Nurse Practitioner, Sonia has worked in a Family Health Team, A Community Health Centre, Acute Internal Medicine, Mental Health (eating disorders) Palliative Care and for a time returned to SickKids PICU as a Nurse Practitioner. Sonia was also part of the Ontario Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner program, teaching NP students at York University.
Currently, Sonia is part of the Nephrology Program at Lakeridge Health Whitby. She is also currently working with the Canadian Association of Nephrology Nurses and Technologists to help develop National NP Standards in Nephrology. She is very excited about being part of ONA’s NP Task force and looks forward to highlighting our NP members across the province.
