ONP Update - January 2008

The Office of Nursing Policy
Health Canada

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On the Inside...

• From the Desk of the Executive Director
• Toward 2020: Visions for Nursing
• Up-date on ONP Initiatives
• Recent Events/Initiatives of Interest
• International News
• Federal/Provincial/Territorial News
• Remembering Dr. Pat Griffin
• ONP Office Staffing News

From the Desk of the Executive Director

As the end of 2007 approaches, we take time to reflect on new beginnings, as well as to reflect upon the accomplishments of the past year.

Over the past seven years, the Office of Nursing Policy (ONP) has focused on three main policy directions: healthy nurses and healthy work environments, strengthening nursing education and research capacity. These have resulted in significant investments in health human resources, at both the national and provincial and territorial levels. With this in mind, we have embarked on a consultation process as part of a strategic review of the ONP.

The ONP's current mandate is to act as a bridge between Health Canada and the nursing community, both nationally and internationally, and to strengthen and inform policy. Its current strategic directions are focused on improving health care access through workforce stability, improving health care quality through workforce development and capacity building, and improving health care sustainability through system transformation. We work closely with other nursing leaders in federal, provincial and territorial governments, the national nursing NGO sector, as well as with other key stakeholders (e.g., other health care providers and employers).

We must re-examine the elements that have influenced our mandate in the past in order to position ourselves to remain relevant to all of these stakeholders and to continually preserve our role as a leader engaged in valuable work.

Currently, the nursing community is working together and collaboratively with other professions to solve health human resource issues. Groups are actively engaged in dialogue which is meant to enhance the linkages between nursing groups and ONP, and extend to other governments and other professions across Canada. Without this dialogue, the focus will continue to be on short term solutions and not on long term change.

I welcome your comments to each of these editorials. At the end, our Office will have a strengthened and well grounded mandate. I sincerely look forward to sharing these exciting changes with all of you.

Sandra MacDonald-Rencz

Toward 2020: Visions for Nursing

In 2006, the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) released Toward 2020: Visions for Nursing. This publication was part of a larger study titled, Toward 2020: Strengthening Canada's Health Human Resources. Funding for the report was provided through Health Canada's ONP and through CNA. The Toward 2020 report, authored by Michael Villeneuve and Jane MacDonald, describes the various factors affecting the nursing profession today and outlines trends. Most importantly, it forecasts possible future outcomes for nursing by 2020. As highlighted in the report, health care in 2020 will be very different from today, with many new roles for nurses. The report also lays the groundwork for the profession's role in planning health care for the 21st century.

The World Futures Society notes that no one knows exactly what will happen in the future. But by considering what might happen, people can more rationally decide on the sort of future that would be most desirable and then work to achieve it. The Toward 2020 study is an important step to move nursing forward in that direction. The report notes that nurses can be at the forefront of the coming changes, setting the agenda to create a health care system that truly serves and reflects the priorities of Canadians.

Information and evidence for the Toward 2020 study came from a literature review and consultation with groups representing RNs, LPNs and RPNs, as well as with other nursing leaders (educators, practitioners, administrators, and policy and planning experts). A preferred future is presented in the report. Six future scenarios are developed, with actions, to maximize the contribution of nursing to the health and health care of Canadians in 2020.

The complete "Toward 2020" report is available at: Toward 2020: Visions for Nursing (PDF version - 2.38 KO)

In March 2007, the ONP hosted a meeting for a wide range of nurse leaders from across Canada. The meeting events were designed to focus participants on the future of nursing, to outline broad directions for the future, and to solicit interest and potential commitment from participants on areas of interest.

Participants developed a number of suggested actions for stakeholder organizations to consider undertaking. The broad areas of focus were directed toward: practising nurses, governments, employers, educators, unions, regulators, researchers and professional associations.

The suggestions were sent to many nursing groups across Canada, for their feedback, along with a report of the March 2007 meeting. The feedback is currently being collated.

Update on ONP Initiatives

The ONP continues to lead two initiatives that are part of the Pan-Canadian Health Human Resource Strategy.

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

A Contribution Agreement with the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada was approved in September 2007 to lead a partnership of six professions to develop accreditation principles for interprofessional education at the pre-licensure level. Site visits to existing projects are still occurring. Plans for the next five years of funding of the Health Human Resources Strategy are still being finalized.

Please monitor the website at: Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centred Practice.

Healthy Workplace Initiative (HWI)

The HWI is a major component of the Recruitment and Retention Initiative under the Pan-Canadian Health Human Resource Strategy. In 2007, there have been significant successes in the following four domains of the Initiative.

i) Leading Practice Application:
Progress continues to be made in the eleven provincial projects and the national projects funded through the HWI. These projects demonstrate that healthy workplace interventions can make a difference in the health and well-being of front-line workers. For example, data from these projects demonstratesreductions in absenteeism and injury among health care workers and reductions in related costs.

ii) Knowledge Generation:
The National Survey on the Work and Health of Nurses (NSWHN) was released in December 2006. This project was done in partnership with the Canadian Institute of Health Information and Statistics Canada. It is the first national study of Canada's three categories of nurses (RNs, LPNs, RPNs) and provides a benchmark to measure progress on quality working environments for nurses.

In March 2007, a workshop of 50 international researchers, decision-makers, employers and union representatives met to explore the development of a framework for the NSWHN. Also, five HWI research studies were completed and released in 2006/07 by Health Canada's Health Policy Research Program. Each study outlines information to ensure that the evidence base for healthy workplaces is used by decision makers. Related publications include a special edition of Healthcare Papers, which features articles on healthy workplaces and examples of effective teamwork, along with commentary articles. In addition, the 13th edition of Health Canada's Healthy Policy Research Bulletin, entitled, The Working Conditions of Nurses: Confronting the Challenges was published and distributed in 2006/07.

iii) Change Management:
The Quality Worklife - Quality Healthcare Collaborative is the cornerstone of the HWI change management strategy. Recent activities included a National Summit in December 2006 and the release of its Quality Healthcare Action Strategy. The mandate of this initiative has been extended by one year to consolidate the gains made to-date and to provide a vehicle for disseminating the findings and successes gained throughout the HWI.

iv) Knowledge Translation and Transfer

The second annual HWI Knowledge Exchange Days were held in November 2006. Individuals involved with the projects funded through HWI and the Health Policy Research Program had a unique opportunity to share their lessons learned to-date. An important outcome was the creation of a virtual network of Canada's Health Workplace Champions. This will continue to facilitate communication and an important exchange of information.

Events/Initiatives of Interest:

Dr. Ginette Lemire Rodger, VP of Professional Practice and Chief Nursing Executive at The Ottawa Hospital received the Order of Canada award in the summer of 2007. Throughout her career, she has served on commissions and the boards of directors of many health, nursing, political and educational organizations. This includes serving as President of the CNA, Chair of the Canadian Council of Health Services Accreditation and as a member of the then Medical Research Council of Canada. Dr. Lemire Rodger has made many important contributions internationally to nursing and to other health care projects. She was also involved at the policy level with the World Health Organization.

Dr. Dorothy Pringle received the Order of Canada award in the spring of 2007. She was Dean of the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, at the University of Toronto, for many years and is now Professor Emeritus. The Order of Canada award acknowledges Dr. Pringle's numerous contributions to the nursing profession and the overall health care community over a period of 40 years. Dr. Pringle has also played a significant role in advancing the care of the elderly and the quality of life of their care-givers.

In November 2007, Dr. Linda McGillis Hallwas one of 54 nurse leaders (3 from outside the United States) inducted as Fellows by the American Academy of Nursing. The Academy is comprised of top nursing executives, policy makers, scholars, researchers and practitioners. The mission of the Academy is to serve the public and the nursing profession by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis and dissemination of nursing knowledge.

Dr. Ellen Ruckholm took office as the new Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) on September 1, 2007. Dr. Rukholm comes to CASN with a wealth of experience as a teacher, researcher and administrator. She has been actively involved with CASN for a number of years, as chair of the Grad Studies Forum, as member of the Board of Directors and as President.

Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) guidelines: The RNAO has recently produced two sets of guidelines, as outlined below.

The Collaborative Practice Among Nursing Teams guideline explores the complexities of the composition, context and structure of nursing teams in an ever-changing interdisciplinary environment. The focus of this guideline is to support nurses in their journey towards excellence in communication, leadership skills and knowledge of teamwork.

Similarly, the overall goals of the Professionalism in Nursing guideline include the following: to identify professional practices that enhance outcomes for nurses, the recipients of their services, organizations and systems; and to identify organizational culture, values and relationships, and structures and processes required for sustaining effective professional practices.

The guidelines are in English and French at RNAO, the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario

International News

The World Health Organization - The Nursing and Midwifery Office of Strategic Directions for 2009-2015: WHO's Strategic Directions for Midwifery Services (2002-2008) are being reviewed and evaluated in anticipation of an up-date in 2008 for the period 2009-2015. Dr. Jean Yan, WHO Chief Scientist and Coordinator of Health Professions Networks, Nursing and Midwifery, created a Task Force in 2007 to carry out this work. Sandra MacDonald-Rencz will participate in the Task Force, which is called Strategic Directions for Strengthening Nursing and Midwifery Services. The new strategic directions will be ready for consultation by March 2008.

Federal/Provincial/Territorial News

Activities regarding the nursing profession are taking place in all jurisdictions. A sample of these activities is highlighted below.

Health Canada's First Nations and Inuit Health Branch: The Nursing Education Practice Committee (NEPC) is presently developing a national Nursing Orientation Toolkit for nurses who work in First Nations communities. In conjunction with this initiative, the NPEC is also developing both Preceptorship and Mentorship programs to support nurses and nurse practitioners working in these communities. In addition, a Community Health Nursing Manual is being developed this fall. Other initiatives include: the Nursing Workload Measurement Methodology project and the Innovative Nursing Delivery Models Project. The latter assists communities in optimizing current resources through the development of a framework and toolkit to redesign nursing service delivery to meet health service needs. For more information on the above initiatives contact: Dr. Vicki Greenslade at vicki_greenslade@hc-sc.gc.ca.

Yukon: Territorial Health Access Fund monies are being applied to Health Human Resource planning in the Yukon and a Nurse Mentorship Program is being started as a key initiative under this plan. Offered on an informal basis to-date, the program has enabled mentorship of a number of nurses in acute care, continuing care and community nursing. With the hiring of a program coordinator in the summer of 2007, the program will be further developed in the coming years.

Northwest Territories: The Community Health Nurse (CHN) Development Program provides an innovative approach for recent nurse graduates to expand their scope of practice. This program helps develop a stable highly skilled registered nurse workforce for remote community health centres in the NWT. Since its implementation in July 2005, the program has produced positive results with a 100% northern retention rate of those completing the program and a rate of 66% for those currently practicing in expanded roles as CHNs. For more information see: Community Health Nurse (CHN) Development) Program.
In addition, a new Communicable Disease Manual (August 2007) is posted at Health and Social Services

Saskatchewan: Through the Recruitment Grant Program, begun in October 2006, recruitment grants have been awarded to 215 nurses. This program provides grants for relocation for rural and remote hard-to-fill positions. Similarly, though the Retention Program, with its funding of $3 million for nursing, projects are directed to support nurses in their workplace. These projects include the following components: professional development, leadership, team-building, effective staffing and workload management. In addition, there has been funding for new and return-in-service bursaries for nurses. It is expected that 262 bursaries will be awarded this year to nurses and this number is expected to expand to 520 by 2011. Saskatchewan is also introducing a diploma psychiatric nursing program in 2008 with 30 seats. Recruitment of nurses has also been enhanced through the Recruitment Agency's web-site at
Health Careers In Saskatchewan

Newfoundland/Labrador: The Department of Health and Community Services provided funding in 2007 to support a comprehensive orientation program for new registered nurses and licensed practical nurse graduates. The Department is also supporting the integration of new graduate nurses into the workplace through a mentorship program.

Nova Scotia: Several projects funded through Health Canada's Internationally Educated Health Professionals Initiative focus on integrating internationally educated nurses (IENs) through: the provision of accessible and comprehensive information on becoming a RN in Nova Scotia; the assessment of an IEN's competence; and educational interventions to assist IENs in meeting eligibility requirements for licensure. In partnership, the College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia (CRNNS), the Office of Nursing Policy at the Nova Scotia Department of Health, and the Registered Nurse Professional Development Centre (RN-PDC) collaborated with various stakeholder groups to achieve project outcomes

CRNNS launched a web portal with a "virtual welcome mat" that incorporates a user-friendly, culturally appropriate format for IENs searching the internet for licensing requirements in the Atlantic Region. Information is available in seven languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, Filipino, German, Japanese and Spanish). Video clips portray IENs highlighting experiences of nursing in the Atlantic Region in their own language.

An Assessment Centre was established at RN-PDC to assess an IEN's prior learning in relation to the competencies for the Canadian Registered Nurses Exam (CRNE). The need for an assessment is determined by the nursing regulatory body. If the conclusion is that additional education is required to be eligible to write the CRNE, there are two programs specifically designed for IENs. RN-PDC offers an inter professional program with an orientation to the Canadian health care system. As well, RN-PDC has permission to deliver the Bridge to Canadian Nursing Program (© Mount Royal College School of Nursing, Calgary) to internationally-educated nurses in the Atlantic Provinces. This program is based on the competencies defined by the CRNE. It introduces the IEN to nursing practice in Canada and helps the IEN gain the knowledge and skills expected of RNs in Canada.

Remembering Dr. Pat Griffin

Dr. Pat Griffin, RN, PhD. was Executive Director of CASN from 2005-2007 until her untimely death on May 6, 2007 after a brave battle with cancer. Dr. Griffin was a visionary advocate for Canadian research on nursing education and other nursing issues. She had served as Senior Nursing Policy Consultant at the ONP and continued to liaise with this Office. Dr. Griffin was also a Certified Health Executive with the Canadian College of Health Service Executives. She held an undergraduate degree in nursing, a master's degree in health administration and a PhD. in health policy. In addition, she was awarded two postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Ottawa.

The Pat Grifffin Fund at CASN has been established to acknowledge the leadership contribution Dr. Griffin made to nursing education and nursing scholarship. This fund will build an endowment to support research in nursing education, and ultimately achieve her dream of establishing a Chair of Nursing Education in Canada.
For more information contact the CASN national office at

99 Fifth Avenue, Suite 15
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1S 5K4
Phone: 613-235-3150
Fax: 613-235-4476
E-mail; inquire@casn.ca
Website: Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing

ONP Office Staffing News

Current staff:

Zelia Barbosa, Program Coordinator, coordinates and monitors projects under the IECPCP component of the Pan-Canadian Health Human Resources Strategy.

Sue Beardall, Senior Policy Advisor, is the lead on the IECPCP initiative, which is one of the three pillars of the Pan-Canadian Health Human Resource Strategy.

Brenda Canitz, Assistant Executive Director, provides general operational management of the ONP and provides direction for policy development in the absence of the Executive Director.

Susan Hicks, Senior Nursing Consultant, focuses mainly on nursing human resource issues and maternal/child health care issues in Canada.

Monique Lacasse, Program Officer, provides administrative support to the IECPCP initiative.

Jacquie Lemaire, Senior Policy Analyst, is the lead on the HWI, which is a major component of the recruitment and retention pillar of the Pan-Canadian Health Human Resource Strategy.

Sandra MacDonald-Rencz, Executive Director, provides direction to ONP staff and liaises with the nursing community, both at the national and international levels on nursing issues. She is also the main point of contact with other government departments.

Suzanne Michaud, Senior Nursing Consultant, works on international as well as research and educational issues.

Phyllis Reid, Office Manager, supports the internal operations of the ONP, including providing administration, financial and human resource management.

Sylvie Sanscartier, Program Officer, provides administrative advice and support to the IECPCP initiative.

ONP bids goodbye to valued colleagues

Robin Buckland, who has worked closely with the ONP since 2003 on the IECPCP and the HWI, has accepted a position at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario as their Director of Nursing Practice/Quality of Working Life.

Teresa Petch joined ONP in March 2006 and during her time at ONP, Teresa provided policy and program support for the IECPCP. In June 2007, Teresa left ONP to work at VON as a national policy advisor.