ONP Update - Spring 2006

The Office of Nursing Policy
Health Canada

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Nurses Week
May 8-14, 2006
Nursing: Promoting Healthy Choices for Healthy Living

On the Inside...

• National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses
• ONP Executive Director confirmed
• ONP welcomes new colleagues
• ONP Initiatives
• Canada's Nursing Chairs
• Awards
• Other Initiatives of Note
• Provincial Territorial News
• Events of Interest
• ONP on the Road

As part of Nursing Week 2006, the Office of Nursing Policy takes this opportunity to thank all nurses in our nation for the great work that nurses do.

Changes to the Newsletter

New features are being added to our Newsletters. The first is the Executive Director's Message and the second will be highlights from the Provinces and Territories. Each Newsletter will highlight one or two of the Provinces/Territories to showcase the work being done.

National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses

Last October, Statistics Canada surveyed (via telephone) approximately 24,000 registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs) from across Canada. The survey, a joint effort by Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), Statistics Canada and Health Canada, will help to identify relationships between selected health outcomes, the work environment, and work-life experiences. Results from the survey will be available in Fall 2006
For more information, please visit:
The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

ONP Executive Director confirmed

Congratulations to Sandra MacDonald-Rencz who was the successful candidate as ONP's Executive Director.

Sandra has been acting in this role since June 2004, and has demonstrated leadership through her participation in a variety of national and international committees and working groups concerned with health services, systems knowledge, and policy development in order to provide advice and support to the policy work of Health Canada.

Sandra has a degree in Nursing, a graduate degree in Education and is a Certified Health Executive with the Canadian College of Health Service Executives. She has held senior positions with the Canadian College of Health Services Executives, the Canadian Nurses Association, and the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation.

Sandra will continue to play an important role in leading the nursing agenda forward in the coming year and we are pleased to continue our work with her.

ONP welcomes new colleagues

ONP is pleased to welcome five new colleagues to the office:

Kim Robertson joins us as the Acting Executive Assistant to Sandra MacDonald-Rencz while Nicole Barnes takes on an exciting 1-year challenge elsewhere within Health Canada. Kim has worked for Health Canada for over 15 years in a variety of positions. While at HC, she worked as a computer trainer, and an Executive Assistant. She has also worked in the Correspondence Unit and on many international events. Kim was married last year and is earnestly studying Spanish as she awaits the immigration of her Cuban-born husband. Congratulations are also extended to Kim and Rasbdel who are expecting their first child in the Fall!

Nick Vetvutanapibul recently graduated from the University of Ottawa with a specialization in Finance and Human Resources. Nick has had several co-op placements with the federal government. Since last May, Nick has been working in Health Canada's Health Human Resources Strategies Division and is now looking forward to working for The Office of Nursing Policy in his role as a Program Officer.

Teresa Petch comes to us from the Nursing Secretariat, Ontario Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care. Prior to joining the Office of Nursing Policy, Teresa worked in research, policy, and community settings on a range of issues related to nursing, as well as the social determinants of health. Teresa holds a Masters degree in Health Promotion from the University of Toronto and an undergraduate degree in International Development & Spanish from the University of Guelph.

Sheila Morris joins us from the University of Ottawa as a co-op student. Sheila has previously worked in Health Canada's Health Human Resources Strategies Division, and she is very excited to begin her new position in the Office of Nursing Policy.

Josephine Etowa joins us as part of her post doctoral program, Josephine will be actively involved in dissemination and knowledge exchange for the Healthy Workplace Initiative. Josephine currently works as an Assistant Professor at Dalhousie University School of Nursing. She has diverse and unique midwifery and nursing experiences starting with her career as a midwife and then as a Public health nurse in Nigeria. In Canada, she has worked in a number of roles within the health care system. Her research interests lie in the areas of: African Canadians' health, maternal child health, multiculturalism in health care, immigrant people, women's health and issues of inequality and social injustice.

ONP Initiatives

The Office of Nursing Policy continues to lead two initiatives that are part of the Pan-Canadian Health Human Resource Strategy:

1. Healthy Workplace Initiative (HWI)

New Study on Retention of Experienced Nurses

On January 26, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) released the first Canadian discussion paper on retaining experienced nurses. Health Canada was pleased to support the development of Taking Steps Forward, Retaining and Valuing Experienced Nurses, by Arlene Wortsman and Susanna Janowitz.

The report's two objectives were: the identification of innovative and successful approaches in current workplace practices and collective agreements resulting in healthier work environments and increased retention of older nurses (45+); and to assist in framing discussions between nursing unions and employers. The study is a first of its kind in Canada.
For more information and for a copy of this exciting report, visit:
The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions.

HWI spotlight: A Collaborative Approach to Supporting Health in the Workplace.

In June 2004, the British Columbia Office of the Auditor General released a report entitled "In Sickness and in Health: Healthy Workplaces for British Columbia's Health Care Workers". This report outlined a number of key workplace issues to be addressed. With funding from the BC Ministry of Health and Health Canada, the Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC) is bringing together the six health authorities in BC to implement seven projects that will directly address many of the Auditor General's recommendations.

Left: Judy Thompson, BC Ministry of Health. Right: Tracie Northway, Provincial Health Services Authority, BC Children's Hospital (pilot site).

The seven projects are as follows:

Northern Health Authority - Internal Ability Management Program; Vancouver Coastal Health - Health Promotion for Shift Workers; Vancouver Island Health Authority - An Evidence-based Approach to Developing, Implementing and Sustaining Wellness in the Workplace; Provincial Health Services Authority - Creating a Healthy Workplace by Implementing a Patient Safety Program; Interior Health Authority - Participatory Ergonomics in Facility Design; Fraser Health Authority - Development of a Healthy Workplace Prevention Action Plan through Integrated Data Analysis. The seventh project, An Integrated Model for Supporting Psychological Health in the Workplace, is a province-wide initiative involving multiple health authorities.

This January, Health Canada staff were pleased to meet with representatives from several health authorities to see this excellent work in action!

Questions and comments about the Healthy Workplace Initiative may be directed to Kathie Paddock, Policy Advisor, at: (613) 948-3677, or by e-mail at: Kathie_Paddock@hc-sc.gc.ca or visit the Workplace Health weg site from Health Canada.

2. Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centred Practice Initiative (IECPCP)

Cycle 2 of the Call for Proposals was issued late last year and submitted projects have been reviewed and assessed. ONP received 27 proposals, nine of which have been selected for funding. Select projects were recommended based on their potential impact on improving educational programs for doctors, nurses, and other health professionals vis-a-vis interprofessional collaborative patient-centred practice. Final approvals are currently underway and we expect to announce the successful applicants shortly.

Please monitor the website at: Health Human Resource Strategy to learn more about the Cycle 2 projects and the overall IECPCP Initiative.

Research and Evaluation Workshop

An invitational Research and Evaluation Workshop will be held in Ottawa from May 28th-30th.

The goal of this workshop is twofold:

• to delineate specific research objectives to further the work of the IECPCP and address any gaps in the current research agenda.
• to discuss the evaluation of the IECPCP Initiative, including a review of the Initiative's logic model and indicators.

Invitees to the Workshop include project and evaluation leads from Cycle 1, possibly Cycle 2 and some Complementary projects, as well as select researchers in the area of interprofessional education.

Canada's Nursing Chairs

In June 2000, the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation and the Canadian Institute of Health Research awarded $20 million to establish 12 Chairs at eight universities across the country to promote Canadian health services and nursing research. This 10-year commitment provides a mentoring and teaching resource for both graduate and post-graduate students, and junior faculty in applied health services and nursing research. Its goal is to link professors, students, and decision makers in various institutions and training centres all over Canada, and to capitalize on the prior research and education experience of its recipients.
For additional information on the CHSRF/CIHR Chair Awards, please visit the
CHSRF/CIHR Chair Awards page

At this time, we would like to profile Canada's five Nursing Chairs.

Lesley Degner

Specializing in cancer care, Dr. Lesley Degner is a Registered Nurse with a PhD in nursing. She currently works as a Senior Investigator of the Cancer Nursing Research Group at the University of Manitoba, where she is also a professor in the Faculty of Nursing. Her chair program of $3.5 million is based at the University of Manitoba and is called Development of Evidence-Based Nursing Practice in Cancer Care, Palliative Care, and Cancer Prevention.

As a CHSRF/CIHR Chair, Dr. Degner creates training opportunities for the future generation of advanced practice nurses and nurse scientists in cancer care, palliative care, and cancer prevention. She promotes both knowledge generation, and knowledge transfer and exchange, and through the chair program Dr. Degner developed a Master's of Nursing (cancer nursing focus) at the University of Manitoba. First-year tuition and a stipend are provided by the chair award for master's-level students.

Alba DiCenso

Dr. Alba DiCenso is a professor in both the School of Nursing, and the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster University. She is the Director of the Ontario Training Centre in Health Services and Policy Research, and with a PhD in Health Studies, she has done extensive research on Nurse Practitioners. Through her CHSRF/CIHR nursing chair, called Evaluation of Advanced Practice Nursing Roles and Interventions, she is leading a program of education and research on advanced practice nurses, including Nurse Practitioners, which will provide a new body of knowledge for decision makers across Canada.

Dr. DiCenso works closely with Ontario's Chief Nursing Officer, and her chair is co-sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Nancy Edwards

Dr. Nancy Edwards is a professor at the University of Ottawa's School of Nursing, and Director of the Community Health Research Unit. Specializing in community health issues, she holds a Bachelor's degree in Nursing, and a PhD in Epidemiology. Dr Edwards' CHSRF/CIHR Chair will contribute to a cost-effective, accessible community health program plan in Canada that will create a network for community health nurse researchers and decision makers. Additionally, the program creates a summer research internship opportunity that promotes nursing research expertise for Canadian and Caribbean graduate-prepared nurses and postdoctoral fellows.

Her program, Multiple Interventions in Community Health Nursing Care, is working towards disseminating, improving, and influencing policy on education and research in community nursing interventions.

Janice Lander

Dr. Janice Lander is a professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta. Working closely with front-line practitioners, her focus is on pain management. She currently leads an education and research program, Evaluating Innovative Approaches to Nursing Care, which will develop tools to evaluate and improve nursing care.

Dr. Lander is a Registered Nurse, and holds a PhD in psychology. Her CHSRF/CIHR Chair program concentrates first on cultivating a workforce of young researchers, and then developing and matching mentors with trainees. This program has initiated a summer institute that gives participants an opportunity to conduct research with junior or mid-career researchers in the nursing faculty.

Linda O'Brien Pallas

As CHSRF/CIHR Chair, Dr. Linda O'Brien-Pallas leads an education and research program called Nursing Human Resources for the New Millennium. This program focuses on developing knowledge and policy on the science behind health human resources, while at the same time cultivating relationships with major government and administrative stakeholders to support policy and development planning structures.

Dr. O'Brien-Pallas is a Registered Nurse who holds a PhD in Medical Science, specializing in Nursing Human Resources. She is a professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto, and she is also Co-Principal Investigator of the Nursing Effectiveness, Utilization and Outcomes Research Unit.

Awards

On February 24, 2006, the Canadian Nurses Association and the Canadian Medical Association announced the recipients of the 2006 Media Awards for Excellence in Health Reporting: Newsmaker of the Year was awarded to George Zeliotis for his role in opening the debate about the prohibition on private insurance in the Quebec Health Insurance Act.

The recipients of the 8 media awards are:

• Excellence in International Reporting: Stephanie Nolen, The Globe and Mail, "Canadian Project Halves Tanzania's Child Deaths"
• Excellence in Print - News: Lisa Priest, The Globe and Mail, "Breast Cancer Survivors Fighting for New Drug"
• Excellence in Print - In-depth: Special Project Team on Palliative Care, Ottawa Citizen, "A Revolution in Dying: Special Report on Palliative Care"
• Excellence in TV - News: The National, CBC, "Newborn Screening"
• Excellence in TV - In-depth: The Nature of Things, CBC, "Change of Heart"
• Excellence in Radio - News: Curt Petrovich, CBC Radio News, "ABREAST Dragonboat Paddlers"
• Excellence in Radio - In-depth: CBC Investigative Unit, CBC Radio News, "Invisible Dangers"
• Excellence in Online - CBC Investigative Unit, CBC News Online, "Seniors and Drugs: Prescribed to Death"

For more information, visit
Canadian Nurses Association
http://www.cna-nurses.ca/CNA/news/releases/public_release_e.aspx?id=197

Other Initiatives of Note

CNA will hold their 2006 Biennial Convention and Annual Meeting from June 18-21 at the TCU Place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Nurses from across Canada who represent different health professions will gather to share knowledge and experience. The impressive line-up of speakers includes: Roberta Jamieson, National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation; Lorne Calvert, Premier of Saskatchewan; Marion Knock, the Canadian Nurse Practitioner Initiative; Sister Elizabeth Davis, the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation.
Pre-Convention workshops are taking place on Sunday, June 18, with presentations by Health Canada's Office of Nursing Policy, the CNA, and the Canadian Nursing Informatics Association.
For more information, visit
Canadian Nurses Association.

The third International All Together Better Health Conference will be held on April 10^th and 11^th at the Imperial College in London, England.

The conference provides an opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences with service users, carers, patients, clients, students, service managers, policy makers, researchers, practitioners and teachers from nursing and other professions about exploring ways to improve collaboration in practice.
Facilitators of interactive sessions include: Ross Baker, Canada; Lisa Hughes, UK; Gerard Majoor, The Netherlands; Yrjö Engeström, Finland.
For further information, visit
All Together Better Health 5 International Interprofessional Meeting.

Provincial/Territorial News

Yukon

With funding available from the Territorial Health Access Fund, the Yukon expects, for the first time, to apply resources to systematic Health Human Resource (HHR) strategy development. Prior to this time, HHR planning activity, including that for nurses, has been undertaken on an incremental basis, responding to needs and opportunities as they arise. Through this incremental approach, nursing initiatives have included creation and ongoing support of a Yukon Advisory Committee on Nursing, support for basic and continuing professional education, introduction of retention allowances and participation in a number of studies to facilitate the development of an evidence base to inform future decisions.

Newfoundland and Labrador

• In June 2005 the province established a chief nurse position to ensure nursing issues are addressed.
• Budget 2006 will strengthen the RN workforce. There will be 39 public health nurse positions added over the next two years. More opportunities will be provided through initiatives such as increased cervical screening, new renal dialysis units, enhanced primary mental health services, and others.
• Bachelor of Nursing Program
  Since 2002 funding has been provided to increase the number of seats by 32. This has resulted in a sustained enrolment of 255 students for the first year of the BN (Collaborative) Program.
• Quality Workplaces
  The Quality Professional Practice Environment Program (QPPE) was developed jointly by the Association of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador (ARNNL) and the Council for Licensed Practical Nurses (CLPN).The program is designed to assist nurses and their employers to create and maintain workplaces that support high quality nursing services and value the personal well-being of nurses. The QPPE program helps health care agencies to identify professional challenges and implement strategies to improve the quality of their workplaces. Funding contribution from Health Canada's Pan-Canadian Health Human Resources Strategy (HHR Strategy) facilitated expansion of this program in 2005.

Saskatchewan

Native Access Program to Nursing (NAPN)

Established in 1985, this program is a support and retention service for Aboriginal nursing students enrolled in the Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan (NEPS). NAPN offers:

• Advisement for Aboriginal nursing students dealing with the academic demands of university and Nursing;
• Access to Elders and culturally appropriate counselling;
• Personal and academic advisement;
• Advocacy - childcare, housing, funding concerns;
• Tutoring, mentorship, computer and internet access;
• Assistance with summer employment;
• Monthly newsletter and luncheons; and
• Fall orientation for new students entering NEPS.

There are approximately 160 Aboriginal students in the NEPS program at present. This is 13% of total enrollment. NAPN plays a significant role in recruiting and retaining Aboriginal nursing students in the NEPS program.

Ontario

Ontario continues its work with employers to stabilize the nursing profession and improve their work environments by providing funding for the creation of more nursing jobs, increasing nursing education capacity and addressing the needs of nurses in every stage of their careers.

For the past two years the Government of Ontario has provided Nursing Strategy funding to enable organizations to implement a range of unique initiatives. The New Graduate Initiative allows employers to create temporary full-time positions for new graduates to support their transition to the workforce. The Late Career Nurse Initiative recognizes that many late career nurses wish to remain in the workforce, but the physical demands of full time point of care nursing pushes them towards retirement. This initiative provides funding for nurses over the age of 55 to work in alternate roles for 20% of their time. The Mentorship/Preceptorship Initiative further supports new nurses, nurses moving to different sectors and increases capacity for clinical placements. The faculty fund provides a tuition waiver for faculty enrolled in a Masters or Ph.D. in Nursing in Ontario. The Nursing Strategy is comprehensive, supporting nurses at all stages of their career, in all roles and in all sectors.

Events of Interest

CASN Nursing Research Conference, "Research in a Changing Landscape", Victoria, British Columbia. November 15-18, 2006. Deadline for Abstract submission is June 9^th.

CNA Biennial Convention and Annual Meeting, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. June 18-14, 2006.

RPNC World Congress for Psychiatric Nurses, Calgary, Alberta. May 11-13, 2006.

Canadian Conference on International Health, "Who Cares? The Human Dimension of Global Health", October 15-18, 2006. Ottawa, Ontario.

ICN International Conference, "Nurses at the Forefront: Dealing with the Unexpected", May 27-June 1, 2007. Yokohama, Japan.

ONP on the Road

This is your opportunity to meet ONP staff. If you would like to meet the staff at ONP, look out for us at the following conferences and meetings:

• III Congrès mondial Secrétariat international des infirmiPres et infirmiers de l'espace francophone (SIDIIEF) 3rd World Convention of Francophone Nurses, Quebec City, May 14-18 (Susan Hicks)
• International Government Chief Nurses Meeting, Geneva, Switzerland. May 16-21. (Sandra MacDonald-Rencz)
• Dana Farber Cancer Institute Study Tour, Boston. May 17-19 (Kathie Paddock)
• Association francophone pour le savoir (L'ACFAS) - 74^e Congrès, Montréal, QC. May 18, Isabelle St. Pierre will present « L'initiative de la promotion de la santé en milieu de travail de Santé Canada : collaborer afin d'améliorer les environements de travail ».
• World Congress for Psychiatric Nurses, Edmonton, AB. June 14 & 15 (Sandra MacDonald-Rencz)
• CNA Biennial Convention and Annual Meeting. Saskatoon, SK. June 18- 21. (Sandra MacDonald-Rencz & Susan Hicks)

National Nurses Week
May 8 -14, 2006

Monday, May 8, 2006
13:30 - 15:00 "Toward 2020: Visions for Nursing" is a report which will be launched by the Canadian Nurses Association. The development of the report was funded by Health Canada through the Office of Nursing Policy. The report is directed to leaders in nursing, health care and health policy across Canada and is meant to provoke dialogue, innovative thinking and action. Please contact CNA for further information. ONP will be hosting an educational session for nurses in the Ottawa area at which highlights from the Visions paper will be presented.

Location: Amphitheatre B, RGN2003
University of Ottawa
Roger Guindon Hall
451 Smyth Road
Ottawa

Minister of Health's Statement about National Nursing Week Statement to be read in the House:
May 8-12, 2006 is National Nursing Week in Canada. This year's theme "Nursing: Promoting Healthy Choices for Healthy Living", emphasizes the important role that nurses play in helping Canadians to maintain and improve their health.

Nurses' knowledge and skills contribute to the well-being of individuals, groups, and communities, in a variety of settings. Daily, they can be found working in emergency rooms and intensive care units, visiting new mothers at home, teaching in community centres or providing end of life care. They are part of interprofessional teams working alongside physicians, pharmacists and other health care professionals in hospitals and in the community. Nurses are at the heart of the health care system and work diligently to keep the 'care' in health care. As a group, they are dedicated, compassionate and strong.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Nancy Edwards will be honoured by the City of Ottawa as part of National Nursing Week, for her outstanding achievements in the field of nursing. His Worship Bob Chiarelli will host a luncheon in her honour. Following the luncheon, the Mayor will present a proclamation to City Council announcing May 10th, 2006 as "Nancy Edwards' Day" in the City of Ottawa.
For further information, visit
Nancy Edwards' Day.