Sandra Robinson is CNO's second Black leader
August 27, 2020
Prior to this year, the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) had just one Black president in its 57-year history.
The number has doubled after Sandra Robinson began her term last June as head of the governing body for registered nurses, registered practical nurses and nurse practitioners in the province.
Jamaican-born Una Ridley held the position between 1976 and 1977.
“It’s not lost on me that it has been over 40 years since there has been a Black president at the CNO,” said Robinson who is the manager of several outpatient and ambulatory programs at Toronto Western Hospital. “I am humbled by the fact that my peers saw in me qualities they felt were essential to have in a leader. I am extremely proud and excited to be the leader of a provincial governing body and for the opportunity to use this leadership position to influence outcomes that ultimately result in patients being safe.”
As CNO council president, her primary goal is to support the work that Council does in protecting the public through regulating nursing practice.
In the midst of an unprecedented time in health care because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Robinson is aware that patient care leadership is critical.
“We have seen how inequalities in our society have negatively impacted those who are the most vulnerable such as the elderly, racialized and Indigenous peoples and those of low socioeconomic status,” she pointed out. “CNO creates standards and sets expectations for how nursing care is to be delivered in Ontario, regardless of the practice setting or patient population. We will continue to be integral in ensuring that people receive safe and ethical care regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender identity or religion.”
Robinson is also expected to provide leadership to the Council that sets the direction for the regulation of the nursing profession in the province.
She plans to continue to focus on making the organization’s processes transparent and accessible to nurses and the public.
“It’s important to increase awareness about the important work that is done at CNO in order to protect the public when they are at their most vulnerable,” said Robinson. “I would also like to increase the engagement of nurses in all that CNO has to offer. It’s extremely important that nurses see CNO beyond that of discipline and more as a significant resource to support and improve their practice in order to provide excellence in nursing care.”
Knowing at a young age that she wanted to be a nurse, her career has so far been very satisfying from a personal and professional perspective.
“On a personal level, my goal has always been to provide the best care that I can for patients,” noted Robinson whose paternal aunt and a cousin are nurses. “It has been a privilege to support patients when they are at their most vulnerable. On a professional level, I have had the opportunity to participate in many aspects of nursing, including bedside nursing, research, teaching and now administration. Regardless of which scope of nursing I am participating in, I bring with me knowledge and experiences from each of my previous roles. The field of nursing and its opportunities are endless.”
She singled out her parents, who migrated from Jamaica in the late 1960s, and nursing leaders among the role models that laid the foundation for her success.
“My parents provided not only a solid family foundation, but also instilled in us the belief that you can achieve anything you put your mind to,” she said. “They encouraged us to try new things, to learn from our failures and to rise above adversity. I have also had several nursing leaders who provided me with guidance and mentorship. They shared constructive feedback, helped me to see the big picture and encouraged me to be comfortable with being uncomfortable in order to achieve growth.”
Robinson – who attended Etobicoke and Silverthorn Collegiate Institutes – began her nursing career in 1993 after graduating from George Brown College.
“Not many jobs were available when I first completed nursing school 27 years ago, so I started my career by working for an agency,” she noted. “I really didn’t like the unpredictability of agency work, so I completed a critical care certificate and secured casual positions in 1994 at Toronto General and Sunnybrook Hospital intensive care units before transferring to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit at Toronto Western Hospital in 1997.”
Transitioning to a Nurse Clinician role seven years later, Robinson served as a Nurse Practitioner in the Acute Pain Service section in 2006 after completing her Master’s degree at the University of Toronto.
A Clinical Manager at Toronto Western for the last eight years, she manages, among other programs, the weight loss surgery platform that started a year before she joined it in 2010 as a Nurse Practitioner.
Considered one of Canada’s leading major research and teaching hospitals, Robinson’s has relished her last 23 years at the medical institution that’s part of the University Health Network.
“Despite its size, the hospital that’s situated in the middle of a multicultural neighbourhood has a community feel,” the Registered Nurses of Ontario member who completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Ryerson University said. “People are extremely friendly and I have developed many treasured friendships during my time here.”
In her spare time, Robinson enjoys travelling and experiencing different cultures.
“I love to learn about the history, view the different cultures and observe the architecture of the places I visit,” she said. “I feel it’s important for my children to be exposed to different areas of the world so that they can better appreciate the opportunities and advantages they have at home. I also love to explore closer to home and I do frequent weekend trips in the summer to discover Ontario. If there were more hours in the day, I would spend it reading and working out.”
Robinson has two daughters.
The eldest is a Holistic Nutritionist and the youngest is entering Grade Six.
She’s proud to be following the footsteps of Ridley who graduated from Mannings High School and was a Staff Nurse at the University of the West Indies before leaving in 1957 for England where she was a Nursing Sister for just over a year.
Coming to Canada in late 1959, the Nursing Co-ordinator was a Staff Nurse in Windsor, a teacher at the Grace Hospital School of Nursing for four years, the Director of the Sarnia General Hospital School of Nursing, and the first Director of the St. Clair Regional and Kingston General Hospital of Schools of Nursing and Chair of the St. Lawrence College Health Services Department.
For nine years, Ridley was Dean of Nursing at the University of Saskatchewan before assuming the same position at the University of Lethbridge.
