Nursing Week: Planning Guide

1. Start your planning early. Some ONA Bargaining Units start in the fall!
2. Form committees to help plan and assign tasks.
3. Involve all your Bargaining Units. Assign responsibilities such as gathering door prizes, connecting with community businesses and talking to your employers about how they can help your event.
4. Determine the type of event you want and the best location for it. For example, a dinner or a lunch-and-learn. Figure out the best location for your event, such as in your employer’s facility, a local hotel banquet hall or restaurant.
5. Choose a date for the event.
6. Visit the site you are considering for your event. Make sure it is suitable for your needs.
7. If you can have an event at your employer’s facility, let those responsible for facility services and room bookings know early and send them the event requirements.
8. If you plan to hold your event at an external site, send the event requirements to various vendors (i.e., hotel, restaurant) with requests for written proposals. If you are signing a contract, you should always receive a written proposal.
9. Prepare a preliminary budget from your Local’s finances, working with your Local Coordinator and Treasurer. Make sure Nursing Week is part of your annual Local budget planning. Create a spending plan and cost out each activity or aspect of the event, i.e., cost for room, meal, prizes, etc.
10. Review site proposals and select your preferred site. Let the vendor know you are from ONA and represent the nurses in your community. They may offer discounts for ONA groups.
11. If you opt for a virtual event, fully test your intended platform to ensure it meets your needs for registration, attendance and programming. You should have technical support during the event, just in case.
12. Include deadlines and other requirements with your schedule to help keep you on track.

1. Do some public relations for the event. Use calendar notices, your ONA bulletin board, your facility’s staff newsletter, etc. Put up event posters around your facility. If you have a Local website, it would be ideal to promote your event.
2. Line up sponsors if you are holding a charitable event. Prepare and mail letters to potential sponsors requesting their participation. See if they will donate prizes.
3. Invite and confirm key speakers or entertainment. Use the Guest Request Form to invite ONA Board members to your event. Get your requests in early! The submission deadline is March 31, 2025. You can also invite them to an event occurring the week before or after Nursing Week.
4. Determine preliminary food and beverage requirements and negotiate menus/prices. But remember, the more you customize, the more you have to manage.
5. Decide what you are going to charge for your event. Some Locals subsidize the cost for their members to attend a dinner, for example, and set a fee based on the meal cost.
6. Figure out audio-visual needs for your speakers and presenters. Order all necessary equipment such as microphones, overhead projectors or computers for presentations or videos well before your event. Make sure you test the equipment before your event! Determine the spot where your speaker will make their presentation.
7. Confirm and monitor pickup of all rental equipment and supplies.
8. Review, update and confirm the final event budget. This is an important step in keeping your costs under control.
9. Identify and communicate on-site responsibility areas for committees and volunteers.
10. Select and order/purchase speaker gifts, awards, door prizes or raffle items you may be handing out. Talk to local businesses to see if they will donate items for giveaways.
11. Purchase special decorations for your event. Sometimes, for a small incremental charge, you can personalize your décor with exceptional results.
12. Determine security needs if required. Arrange with the venue or an outside security firm, if needed. If you are holding your event at your employer’s facility, there’s usually onsite security so plan accordingly with the security department.
13. Prepare “direction” signs to steer your guests and participants to the right location. Think about having greeters to welcome guests and provide information.
14. Write a sign list, order signs (i.e., event promotion, table numbers, directions) or create your own. Make sure they are clear and easy to read.
15. Print tickets for your event. If your event requires the purchase of a ticket to attend, start selling them four to five weeks in advance. Do periodic checks with your volunteers to see how sales are going and if you need to “push” a little harder. Advertise ticket sales as much as possible in different ways, such as in your Local’s social media or website, Local newsletters, Local websites or your ONA bulletin board, etc.
16. Print posters publicizing the event. Start putting them up two months ahead of the event so everyone can be aware of the event and mark their calendars. You might attract volunteers!
17. Finalize food and beverages. Confirm how many people are attending and how much you need so you don’t over-order.

1. Have a staff/volunteer meeting to review responsibilities, procedures and overlap areas such as registration.
2. Walk through the venue and make sure everything is in place. Make sure all signs are up, tables and places are set, and confirm that the presentation area for your speaker or entertainer has been set up properly.
3. Have at least two people at the door to collect tickets. Have change available and a box to keep tickets. Consider giving a small gift at the door as a welcome, such as an ONA pin.
4. Acknowledge special guests, such as an ONA leader or local dignitary. Make sure you introduce them and recognize their attendance.
5. If media attend your event, ensure someone greets them and escorts them in. Provide a place for them to sit or set up a camera. Remind the media the day before your event of the time and location. If they want to conduct an interview about your event, make sure you have someone from your Bargaining Unit or Local ready to answer questions. Have your “media spokesperson” email gro.a1742947532no@ek1742947532atnis1742947532mmoc1742947532 if they need some helpful tips/advice.

Download and print our Event Checklist.

1. Pack and take inventory of all materials.
2. Do a financial reconciliation. Make sure you have been billed correctly and that you pay in a timely fashion out of your Local budget.
3. Perform post-budget “reflections.” Were you on budget? Could you have saved money?
4. Send out thank-you letters.
5. Collect and organize data for final meeting reports.
6. Let ONA know! Share your great ideas, tell us your stories, and reflect on your Nursing Week events.
7. Send in your photos to gro.a1742947532no@la1742947532tigid1742947532 and/or share them on social media using #NursingWeek. Tag ONA’s provincial account in your posts: @ontarionurses on Facebook/X and @Ontario.Nurses on Instagram.

If you are interested in booking Board members to attend or speak at your Nursing Week event, please use our Guest Request Form. We will try to fulfill your requests, subject to availability. Requests must be submitted by March 31, 2025. ONA leaders are also available throughout the year, and especially during the week leading up to Nursing Week and the week after.

Your Planning Committee may want to enlist the support of the mayor of your community to officially proclaim Nursing Week in your area.

See our Sample Proclamation.

Newspaper editors are pleased to hear from members of their communities about issues of concern and will often print such letters on the “Letters to the Editor” page. They are particularly interested in hearing from experts on various issues.

For example, they will want to know how important nurses are in the care of your patients, residents and clients.

• Keep it short and concise. State your points clearly; keep within three or four paragraphs if you can.
• Use simple language so it is less likely your letter will be edited. Don’t worry about flowery language or trying to impress. Newspaper editors want the facts and your opinion.
• Talking about your own experiences will make a big impact with newspaper editors, so stick to what you know. Tell them what it’s really like for a nurse working in Ontario’s health-care system.
• Follow up with the newspaper editor to see if they plan on running your letter, but don’t get upset if they don’t. Often, they have limited space.

See our Sample Letter to the Editor.

Spread the word online during Nursing Week! This is an excellent time to highlight the great work that nurses do day in and day out. At ONA, we take pride in promoting and celebrating all things nursing on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

To join the celebration online, make sure you’re following ONA across all platforms:

• Facebook, X and YouTube @ontarionurses
• Instagram @Ontario.Nurses

Ways to Celebrate Nursing Week on Social Media:

• Promote Nursing Week with posts about nursing history, role models and more.
• Take photos of your Nursing Week celebrations and post them to social media. Remember, do not post photos of your patients/residents/clients, or of sensitive information.
• Make sure to tag ONA in your posts, and to use the hashtag #NursingWeekONA

Questions about social media? Please contact us at gro.a1742947532no@la1742947532tigid1742947532. 

Whatever activities you plan for Nursing Week, it always helps if you get the support of your employer.

They may even be willing to kick in some extra funding or sponsor one or more of your activities. You can also find out if they will post a notice about your Nursing Week event on the facility website and bulletin board, and/or send around notices to staff. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Make sure you don’t use your employer’s letterhead for your letters.

See our Sample Support Request Letter.

Local businesses might appreciate an opportunity to celebrate Nursing Week by pitching in prizes, coupons, discounts or free services to help support nurses. For instance, a flower shop may offer free corsages or a centerpiece as a draw prize, or the local donut shop might offer free coffee and donuts. You can also create a sign for businesses to promote Nursing Week.

See our Sample Support Request Letter.

If you're a Local Leader looking to purchase Nursing Week gifts, please visit our online Merch Shop at ona.org/merch, brought to you by Two Crazy Ladies.