To build a stronger, more resilient health system in Ontario, we must fully recognize and support Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs).

RPNs deliver more than one-third of nursing care in Ontario, yet many remain underrecognized, underutilized, and misunderstood across the health care system. As patient needs grow and system pressures mount, RPNs are increasingly called upon to play critical roles on the front lines—often while facing high workloads, burnout, and barriers to practicing to their full scope.

In this episode, host Jeff Goodyear, Associate at Santis Health, sits down with Dianne Martin, CEO of the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario (WeRPN), to explore the evolving role of RPNs and the future of nursing in the province. Together, they discuss workforce challenges, the impact of misperceptions about RPNs, and the urgent need for system-wide solutions that value and support all nursing professionals. Tune in for an honest conversation about the path forward—and how empowering RPNs is essential to the sustainability of Ontario’s healthcare system.

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Dianne Martin

Chief Executive Officer, Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario (WeRPN)

Dianne is Chief Executive Officer of Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario (WeRPN). She’s been a nurse since 1979, initially graduating as a Registered Practical Nurse and then in 1998. She graduated as an Registered Nurse with a diploma in nursing and is dually registered as both an RN and RPN today. She subsequently has obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from York University and a Master of Leadership from Royal Roads University.

In her role as Chief Executive Officer of the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario, she has been recognized for her work to build bridges of greater understanding, clarity, and respect among the categories of nurses in Ontario. Her Knowledge Process Model which she developed in 2013 has been used in Canada and internationally to provide clarity to different categories of nurses and ensure safe nursing practice based on patient need.

Dianne has experience working in several Ontario hospitals predominantly in the field of Perinatal Care. She has held several leadership positions as a senior policy analyst with the Nursing Policy and Innovation Branch of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (formerly The Nursing Secretariat).

In 2015 Dianne received an honorary Bachelor of Applied Studies from Georgian College and in 2016 she 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.