Ontario Nurses' Association Launches New Ad Campaign in Kingston: "The Truth Hurts" campaign to inform the public of threats to health-care

KINGSTON, ON, Aug. 24, 2015 /CNW/ - The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) is launching a new ad campaign in Kingston today.

"The Truth Hurts. Nurses Know." is the theme of the campaign that will pop up around the city's transit shelters, bus exteriors and benches. The multi-media ads inform Kingston residents of some of the facts facing not just Ontario's registered nurses, but also their patients.

"Registered nurses are professionals and are the most trusted patient care advocates," notes ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN. "As front-line care providers, we are in a position to open the conversation about the multitude of issues that are contributing to a decline in our health care."

As Haslam-Stroud explains, RNs have an "up close and personal" view as well as the skills, education and experience that enables them to knowledgeably discuss the state of Ontario's health-care system.

"We are, in our role as RNs, first and foremost patient advocates," says Haslam-Stroud. "We are our patients' voices and are obligated to speak out against threats to our patients' health care. Yes, we know the truth does hurt, but nurses know the negative implications of these health-care threats that increase our patients' death and disease rates. This ad campaign is simple but powerful, and we hope the public will join with Ontario's nurses to raise their concerns."

ONA is the union representing 60,000 front-line registered nurses and allied health professionals as well as more than 14,000 nursing student affiliates providing care in Ontario hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, industry and clinics.

Visit us at: www.ona.org; www.Facebook.com/OntarioNurses; www.Twitter.com/OntarioNurses

SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association

Ontario Nurses' Association, Melanie Levenson, [phone], ext. 2369, [email protected]; Katherine Russo, [phone], ext. 2214, cell: 647-539-1925, [email protected]