Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario CEO available to comment on impact of COVID-19 in long-term care homes

TORONTO, March 30, 2020 /CNW/ - With news of COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care homes, there is growing concern amongst Ontarians around how to protect the health and safety of our vulnerable populations and the nurses and other health professionals who care for them. To discuss the COVID-19 threat to long-term care homes from the perspective of frontline healthcare workers, Dianne Martin, CEO, Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario (WeRPN), is available to comment on the following:

• Protective measures that workers, including nurses, should to take to avoid contracting the virus and to limit the spread within long-term care homes
• The steps being taken by government to protect frontline workers, and what can still be done 
• How WeRPN is regularly and closely working with Ontario's Ministry of Health to keep the long-term care community informed and updated about developments related to COVID-19
• Advice for the general public on how to protect themselves from the virus and to avoid the spread of any misinformation

For comments and interview requests, please contact Tiff Blair at [email protected]

About Dianne Martin
Dianne Martin has been a nurse since 1979. She graduated first as an RPN and then in 1998, she graduated as an RN with a diploma in nursing and is dually registered as both an RN and RPN. Currently she works as an RPN in the role of Chief Executive Officer of the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario where she has been recognized for her work to build bridges of greater understanding and respect among the categories of nurses in Ontario. Dianne has experience working in several Ontario hospitals predominantly in the field of Perinatal Care. She has held several leadership positions including professional practice coordinator in an Ontario hospital and senior policy analyst with the Nursing Policy and Innovation Branch of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (formerly The Nursing Secretariat).

In 2016 Dianne received the Premier's Award which recognizes college graduates whose achievements have made a difference in the province of Ontario.

She is the daughter of a nurse, mother to a nurse, and she holds all those who care for others in the highest regard.

About Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario
Founded in 1958, WeRPN is the voice of registered practical nursing in Ontario. There are approximately 45,000 RPNs working in Ontario, playing a vital role in the province's health care system.

We are formerly RPNAO. Learn more at www.werpn.com

SOURCE Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario