https://www.cna-aiic.ca/fr/blogs/ic-contenu/2025/01/30/laiic-exhorte-la-mise-en-uvre-rapide-des-mises
January 30, 2025 (Halifax, Nova Scotia) – Following the federal, provincial and territorial health ministers’ meeting, the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) is urging all levels of government to act on the Canada Health Act Services Policy, which recognizes nurse practitioner (NP) services as equivalent to physician services. This critical update will improve access to high-quality, team-based primary care for Canadians.
“With millions of Canadians lacking regular access to a health-care provider, recognizing NP services under the Canada Health Act represents a monumental shift toward modernizing primary care,” says CNA president Dr. Kimberly LeBlanc. “Timely implementation is essential to ensuring patients receive the care they need, while enabling the nursing workforce to operate to its full potential.”
CNA commends health ministers for their commitment to increasing nurse mobility across provinces and territories, a step that will enhance workforce flexibility and address urgent health-care needs. A recent CNA survey of 1,796 nurse respondents revealed that 93% support increasing labour mobility through a multijurisdictional licensure approach.
CNA also emphasizes the need for leadership through chief nursing officer roles at the highest levels of government to inform workforce and health policy. Additionally, removing barriers that prevent nurses from working to their full scope of practice is essential to addressing workforce shortages, reducing health-care expenditures, and improving patient outcomes.
“Expanding scopes of practice and prioritizing retention strategies will create a more sustainable health workforce and ensure better care for all Canadians,” says CNA CEO Dr. Valerie Grdisa.
As CNA continues to advocate for transformative health-care reforms, it calls on health ministers to implement bold changes that fully integrate nurse-led models of care into planning and funding decisions. These steps are essential for building a sustainable, patient-centred health system.
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About the Canadian Nurses Association
CNA is the national and global professional voice of Canadian nursing. Our mission is to advance the nursing profession to improve health outcomes in Canada’s publicly funded, not-for-profit health system. CNA is the only national association that speaks for all nurses in all sectors and practice settings across all 13 provinces and territories. We represent unionized and non-unionized nurses, retired nurses, nursing students, and all categories of nurses (licensed and registered practical nurses, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and registered psychiatric nurses).
For more information, please contact:
Alexandre Bourassa
Lead, Public Affairs
Cell: 613-697-7497
Email: abourassa@cna-aiic.ca
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