CANADIAN NURSES ASSOCIATION
SAYS ‘IT’S ABOUT TIME’
CNA’s new campaign says
it’s about time Canadians consider nurse practitioners as the answer to more
access to better health care.
Ottawa, October 17, 2011
– The Canadian Nurses Association
(CNA) today launched a campaign to educate Canadians about how nurse
practitioners can improve access to quality health care. Almost five million
Canadians do not have a primary health-care provider and those that do often
have a hard time accessing care. These two factors result in a heavily-burdened
and overcrowded health-care system. More nurse practitioners will reduce wait
times, improve access to more options and enhance the care of the whole patient.
As
Canadians, we’re proud of and grateful for this country’s health-care system,
but it’s time to recognize we deserve even better,‖ says Judith Shamian, CNA’s
president. ―Nurse practitioners have played a valuable and essential role in the
system for many decades. Given the stress the health-care system is currently
under, now is the time to realize just how much more value nurse practitioners
can bring to Canadians’ health care.‖
Nurse practitioners are
registered nurses who have additional education and nursing experience. Working
collaboratively with other health-care providers, they provide quality care for
patients, order tests, prescribe medications, and diagnose and manage chronic
illnesses. They work in a wide variety of settings including community clinics,
doctors’ offices, nursing homes, hospitals and in patients’ homes.
In
order for Canadians to feel confident in our country’s health-care system, they
need to be certain they can easily access quality care whenever they need to,‖
says Rachel Bard, CNA’s chief executive officer. ―As nurses, we know our
services can help make health care more accessible, and our commitment to
educating patients and involving them in decisions related to their care helps
them achieve the best possible health.
CNA’s campaign aims to educate Canadians about how their access to health care
can be improved, how they can have more options and what role nurse
practitioners can play. The campaign will also encourage governments to invest
in more nurse practitioners as an investment in better health. The Nurses
Association of New Brunswick will help CNA launch its national efforts with a
four-week campaign in Fredericton. The campaign — with the slogan, Nurse
Practitioners: It’s About Time! — will then roll out in regions across the
country.
There are more than 3,000 nurse practitioners in Canada and every provincial and
territorial government has nurse practitioner legislation in place. In 2010,
there were 75 nurse practitioners in New Brunswick. That number is expected to
rise in the near future with a commitment from the provincial government for 15
new nurse practitioner positions.
For more information about CNA’s nurse practitioner campaign, please
visit www.npnow.ca.
The Canadian Nurses
Association (CNA) is the national professional voice of registered nurses in
Canada. A federation of 11 provincial and territorial nursing associations and
colleges representing 143,843 registered nurses, CNA advances the practice and
profession of nursing to improve health outcomes and strengthen Canada’s
publicly funded, not-for-profit health system.
For more information or
to arrange an interview, please contact:
Nursing Leadership (CJNL), 21(4) 2008: 42-51 The Practice Doctorate: Where Do Canadian Nursing Leaders Stand? Gloria Joachim
Abstract:
This article calls upon Canadian nursing leaders to examine the merits and downsides of the new practice doctorate degree - the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). The impetus for the DNP arose from within the American nursing profession in order to address the knowledge and skills needed by advanced practice nurses to work in today's complex healthcare environment. The DNP is the newest practice doctorate degree and in 2015 will be the entry to practice degree required of all new advanced practice nurses in the United States. Advanced practice nurses who will have the practice doctorate include clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and nurse anaesthetists. With the establishment and acceptance of the DNP in the United States, American advanced practice nurses will have a different knowledge base than Canadian advanced practice nurses.
The evolution and state of advanced practice nursing in Canada are discussed in this article. Canadian nursing leaders must discuss the DNP, its merits and downsides within the Canadian context and begin to make informed decisions about whether or not the DNP should come to Canada.
Last Updated ( May 07, 2010 at 11:18 PM )
Sudbury District Nurse Practitioner Clinic Website
Jan 23, 2009 at 12:30 PM
Visit the Sudbury District Nurse Practitioner Clinic Website Click Here
Last Updated ( Jul 04, 2009 at 08:33 PM )
Welcome to NPCanada.ca
Mar 25, 2007 at 05:59 PM
Welcome to NPCanada.ca
Advanced Practice Nursing (APN), and more specifically the Nurse Practitioner, has traditionally been practiced in northern parts of Canada. Nurses would take courses to advance their skills or they would learn on-the-job. Recently (in the last decade), legislation has been implemented to allow nurses with advanced education (Masters of Nursing in Advanced Practice) to practice in a Nurse Practitioner or Advanced Practice role in settings other than northern communities.
What can a Nurse Practitioner do? In most provinces in Canada, legislated Nurse Practitioners are able to diagnose and manage many disorders and chronic diseases, prescribe medications for you, order diagnostics, and refer you to specialists if needed. They are able to do complete physicals, and medicals required for most third party companies, and care for you during your pregnancy and after you deliver. They see many clients with chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, osteoarthritis, and mental health concerns. They also see patients when they are acutely ill such as in Emergency Departments or in Critical Care units. In primary care settings, Nurse Practitioners are able to see you the same day if you have an earache, sore throat, or other condition that is keeping your from work or school. Some Nurse Practitioners are also able to perform minor surgical procedures. Please call your provincial nursing regulatory body or your regional health authority to locate a Nurse Practitioner in your area.
As it stands today, all provinces and territories have legislation that allows Nurse Practitioners to practice to their full scope.
Provinces and Territories vary on what type of legislation they have in place for NPs. The Canadian Nurse Practitioner Exam (CNPE) is one step toward national recognition of the Nurse Practitioner however, not all provinces require this exam for entry to practice. For further details on what requirements are needed for entry to practice in the various provinces/territories click here.
NPCanada.ca is a website designed to provide a forum for discussion of issues related to Advanced Practice Nursing in Canada. Although there are many NP sites on the internet, most are American or from the UK. These resources are excellent, but practicing as an NP in Canada is very different. Legal, education and practice issues in the UK or US are unlike those encountered here in Canada. With the ability to share ideas and information on these issues, it is hoped that the profession of Advanced Practice Nursing will be promoted in Canada.
Dr. Donna Alden-Bugden, RN(EP, Manitoba), NP-C (Minnesota), FNP-BC(Minnesota), MN, DNP
Family Nurse Practitioner - Minnesota, Manitoba
DrDonna(at)NPCanada.ca
