MEDIA ADVISORY: Landmark agreement will see Ontario nursing expertise shared
abroad

TORONTO, Aug. 10 /CNW/ - Details of an agreement between Ontario's top professional nursing organization and the Spanish government to improve patient care in that country will be announced this week.

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is partnering with the Unidad de coordinacion y desarrollo de la Investigacion en Enfermeria (Investern-iscii) to translate RNAO's best practice guidelines into Spanish.

The guidelines are evidence-based tools nurses use in their everyday practice to improve patient care. Forty-two guidelines have been developed to date, including ones focused on health promotion such as breastfeeding, prevention of child obesity, and reducing falls in older persons. Guidelines have also been developed in the area of chronic disease management such as diabetes. And there are guidelines to support nurses working with patients who are ill with various conditions such as hypertension and asthma.

RNAO says numerous other countries are already benefitting from the knowledge these nursing best practice guidelines provide. Spain is the first country to translate all of RNAO's guidelines for the benefit of nurses, other health-care professionals and patients in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries.

WHAT:	A media conference to announce an agreement to translate RNAO's 42 best practice guidelines into Spanish.
WHERE:	Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, 158 Pearl Street, Toronto
	(corner of Pearl and Duncan Streets near King Street)
WHEN:	Thursday, August 12^th from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
WHO:	- Doris Grinspun, Executive Director, Registered Nurse Association of Ontario
	-Teresa Moreno, Chief Executive Officer, Unidad de coordinación y desarrollo de la Investigación en Enfermeria (Investén-isciii)
	- Hon. Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health-care system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public they serve.

The International Affairs and Best Practice Guidelines Program (IABPG) is a signature program of RNAO focused on the development, dissemination, implementation and evaluation of clinical and healthy work environment best practices. The program was launched in 1999 with multi-year funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The guidelines are a substantive contribution towards building excellence in Ontario's health-care system. They are available to nurses, other health-care professionals and organizations across Canada and abroad. To learn more about RNAO's Nursing Best Guidelines Program or to view these resources, please visit www.rnao.org/bestpractices.

For more information about RNAO, visit our website at www.rnao.org. You can also check out our Facebook page at www.rnao.org/facebook and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rnao.

For further information:

To arrange an interview with Ms. Grinspun or with another nurse, please contact:

Marion Zych
Director of Communications
Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO)
158 Pearl Street
Toronto, ON
416-408-5605 (office)
647-406-5605 (cellular)