National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties

1. National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Transforming the Future: Excellence Through Innovation Chicago, Illinois April 2005

2. Nurse Practitioner Education in Canada:Transforming the Future Suzanne Doucette, RN, BScN, MHA University of Ottawa Elsie Duff, RN, BScN, MEd, University of Manitoba Esther Sangster-Gormley MS, ARNP University of New Brunswick April 2005

3. Thank you • NONPF • Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) • Fellow members of the CASN Taskforce on Primary Health Care/Nurse Practitioner Education

4. Objectives • Evolution of Canadian NP programs • Scope of practice differences between NPs in the US & Canada • Role similarities in the US & Canada

5. Education Evolution

6. Legislation Evolution • Varies across the 10 provinces & 3 territories • Absence of a common title • NP • RN/NP • RN(EC) (extended class) • RN(EP) (extended practice) • Title protection versus title designation • Not all provinces & territories have legislation

7. Regulation Evolution • Under the authority of the College of RNs for each province or territory • Generally falls under amendments to the RN or Health & Professionsact for each province or territory • Inconsistencies across Canada

8. Recognizing Similarities • Advanced nursing role (autonomous) • Advanced competencies of • Assessment • Diagnosis • Treatment & Management • Client Focus • Individual, Family & Community

9. Appreciating differences • Educational variation • Practice environment • Rural and remote areas • One payer system • Socialized Health Care • Primaryhealth care (PHC) framework

10. Principles of primary health care • Accessibility to everyone regardless of income, culture, gender, age, etc. • Appropriate use of technology • Emphasis on health promotion, prevention, & chronic diseases management

11. Principles of primary health care • Intersectoral collaboration (other sectors outside of health care) • Coordination & integration of health services • Public participation

12. New initiatives • PHC transition funding • First Nations Inuit Health Branch • CNA-Canadian NP Initiative • NP competencies and national exam

13. Challenges • Practice sites • NP faculty • Preceptors • Interprofessional education • Affiliation with NONPF

14. Practice site • Competition for sites with family medicine residents • Different role requirements for rural, remote & urban settings • Limited appropriate clinical sites • Common National NP competencies not implemented • No common core curriculum outcomes

15. NP Faculty • Limited number of PhD NP Faculty • Limited number of NP Masters clinical instructors

16. Preceptors • In some Provinces limited number of NP preceptors available • Reimbursement of Physicians • Recognize the contribution of clinical preceptors; joint appointments, thank you letters, sponsored educational seminars

17. Interprofessional Education • Increasing emphasis by Gov’ts to support Interprofessional Education • Pilot projects being funded in a number of provinces

18. Affiliation with NONPF • Exploring a possible Canadian NP Faculty affiliation with NONPF through Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing • Small numbers of NP Faculty & NP programs