CTV News Kitchener’s Spencer Turcotte to receive RNAO media award

A nurse holds a tablet in this stock image from Shutterstock.

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) has announced the recipients of this year’s Media Awards competition and CTV Kitchener’s Spencer Turcotte is one of the winners.

Turcotte will be receiving an award for best in-depth television report or series for this three-part series in May 2023, during National Nursing Week.

He is one of eight journalists who are receiving an award for work they wrote or produced.

"The stories being recognized highlight the successes and the challenges nurses, other health professionals and the public experience every day in our system. That’s why it’s so important we honour journalists for sharing their stories and standing up for the most vulnerable,” said RNAO CEO Doris Grinspun in a media release.

Entries were judged by a panel of nurses and journalists.

Awards will be handed out at RNAO's 99th Annual General Meeting on Friday, June 21.

Winning series

In the first part of his winning series, Turcotte interviewed staff at Cambridge Memorial Hospital who talked about how they’re recruiting and retaining nursing staff.

“We are at a place in time when we are more worried about staffing than we are about the spread of COVID-19,” said chief nursing executive Stephanie Pearsall at the time.

In the second part of the series, Turcotte reported on an internationally-trained nurse who found employment through a unique program at Grand River Hospital.

Harjeet Brar trained as a nurse in India before getting her license to be a registered nurse in Canada in April of 2023.

In the final part of the series, Turcotte went to St. Mary’s General Hospital to look at how nursing responsibilities evolved over the years.

Turcotte spoke to those in the cardiac centre, benefitting from leading care provided by nurse practitioners.

“Because the surgeons are in the operating room most days, patients will see me on behalf of their surgeon to plan and provide their medical care and then review with the surgeons if there’s any concerns,” said Jennifer Harrison, a nurse practitioner.

Entries were judged by a panel of nurses and journalists.

Awards will be handed out at RNAO's 99th Annual General Meeting on Friday, June 21.

Kitchener Top Stories

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

'Why did I have this surgery?' Ont. mother seeks answers after son's tonsil surgery

An Ontario mother said it looked like a horror movie when she flicked on the lights of her son’s bedroom to find him projectile vomiting blood after his tonsils were removed at McMaster Children’s Hospital.

Protesters try to topple Queen Victoria statue near pro-Palestinian encampment in Montreal

Montreal police were called to intervene after protesters attempted to tear down the Queen Victoria statue at Victoria Square.

Smith tells Trudeau Alberta will opt out of federal dental plan

Alberta is opting out of the federal dental plan, the premier told the Canadian government late Tuesday afternoon.

France bans extreme-right and radical Islamic groups ahead of polarizing elections

France’s government on Wednesday ordered the dissolution of extreme right and radical Muslim groups, four days before the first round of high-stakes legislative elections that may see a surge in support for political extremes.

U.S. health agencies launch new studies of H5N1 bird flu in dairy workers and dairy products

U.S. health agencies are starting new rounds of tests on dairy workers and milk products to better understand the possible impact of H5N1 bird flu.

Puppy mills now illegal in Ontario, but advocates say little will change for dogs

Puppy mills are now illegal in Ontario after the province recently passed legislation banning them, but critics say the new law will do little to curb the problem.

Suspected North Korean hypersonic missile exploded in flight, South Korea says

A suspected hypersonic missile launched by North Korea exploded in flight on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, as North Korea protests the regional deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier for a military drill with South Korea and Japan.

NATO picks Netherlands PM Mark Rutte as next boss

NATO on Wednesday selected Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as NATO's next boss, as the war in Ukraine rages on its doorstep and uncertainty hangs over the United States' future attitude to the transatlantic alliance.

Should he stay or should he go now? A look at Trudeau's options after byelection loss

A historic defeat for the Liberals in a downtown Toronto byelection has put a glaring question mark on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's political future. Here's a look at the options Trudeau and the Liberals face as they enter a summer of soul-searching.