Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee.
I'm pleased to present to you this morning as president of the Canadian Council of Registered Nurse Regulators.
The Canadian Council of Registered Nurse Regulators, or CCRNR, was established in 2011 as a national organization comprising the 12 provincial and territorial regulatory bodies with mandates to regulate the practice of registered nurses and nurse practitioners in Canada.
CCRNR recognizes the regulatory autonomy of its provincial and territorial members, while remaining committed to the benefits of collaborative dialogue and harmonized approaches to regulation for the protection of the public. Our goal is to provide a forum for provincial and territorial regulators to work together to serve and protect the public interest by advancing excellence in nursing regulation.
As a national organization for the exchange of information regarding regulatory trends, best practices, policy, and legislation, CCRNR participates in national and international discussions to represent and promote an understanding of nursing regulation. We are uniquely positioned to provide the regulatory perspective and to support the public protection mandates of provincial regulators in discussions at the federal level.
I would like to briefly address the term “scope of practice”. Scope of practice is given to a profession in provincial and territorial legislation. Members of the profession work within this scope to the extent of their individual knowledge, skill, and ability. Often the scope of practice of one profession overlaps with the scopes of practice of other professions.
Our regulatory processes are designed to ensure members of the profession are competently working within their defined scope. While there are some differences in the scope of practice for registered nurses across provinces and territories, there are also significant similarities. We share a set of national entry-to-practice competencies, which inform nursing curricula, and a common registration exam reflective of the common requirements for safe nursing practice across Canada.
Scopes of practice evolve with changes in the regulatory and health care environment. Discussions around expanding the scope of practice or authority given to a profession should include consideration of the regulatory mechanisms needed to ensure that public protection is maintained. These include educational requirements, standards to support safe practice, and mechanisms to ensure continuing competence of the profession.
It is also critical that scope of practice discussions take place in collaboration with regulators of other members of the health care team. For example, CCRNR has begun discussions with our colleagues at the Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada and the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities on common regulatory issues.
I'd like to briefly highlight three examples of CCRNR's work to harmonize regulatory frameworks designed to support the protection of the public in Canada.
CCRNR is a key participant in the creation of the National Nursing Assessment Service, together with our colleagues who regulate practical nurses and psychiatric nurses. With funding support from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, which is now Employment and Social Development Canada, as well as provincial and territorial governments, the National Nursing Assessment Service will support consistency in the initial assessment of internationally educated nurse applicants and support labour mobility.
CCRNR is also working to harmonize expectations for safe practice by nurse practitioners in response to the federal government's introduction of the new classes of practitioners regulations under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. For example, CCRNR has identified criteria for educational courses to be offered across the country to ensure that all nurse practitioners have the necessary competencies to support safe prescribing of controlled substances.
With support from Employment and Social Development Canada, CCRNR is about to embark on a national analysis of nurse practitioner practice in Canada. We will examine the similarities and differences that exist in individual provinces and territories, and we'll use this information to develop consistent approaches for regulating nurse practitioners across the country.
From our work on these foundational initiatives, CCRNR has identified additional opportunities to support consistency in the regulation of nursing's scope of practice. We will be exploring the creation of a national framework for nursing regulation, which we hope will lay the groundwork for a national mobility agreement.
In closing, the Canadian Council of Registered Nurse Regulators is committed to working with stakeholders across the health care system to support the delivery of consistent, safe, ethical health care across settings, geography, and roles. As the federal government continues to explore the question of scopes of practice and other issues regarding nursing in Canada, CCRNR looks forward to extending our collaborative efforts and offering the collective regulatory expertise of our members in future discussions.
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you this morning, and I am pleased to respond to any questions you may have.