National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Transforming the

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

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

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

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

Education Evolution Entry requirements RN diploma - Masters Degree Credentials granted Post-diploma certificate Post-baccalaureate certificate Post-masters certificate Masters degree Program length 12 – 24 months Practice hours 370 – 927 hours Content Primary health care Acute care Delivery Face to face Distance 5

Legislation Evolution o 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 o Not all provinces & territories have legislation 6

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NP Faculty o Limited number of Ph. D NP Faculty o Limited number of NP Masters clinical instructors 15

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

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

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