BUILDING THE FUTURE INVITATIONAL CONFERENCE

Aboriginal Nurse, The, Jul 2006

More than 150 nursing leaders and stakeholders met in Ottawa April 30 and May 1,2006 to identify priority strategies to address nursing human resources issues in Canada. Nursing leaders and stakeholders also discussed the linkages between nursing and physician human resource planning and the federal/provincial/territorial governments' Framework for Collaborative Pan-Canadian Health Human Resource Planning.

Based on extensive research findings from the first phase of the Nursing sector Study, and on consultations in the federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions last fall and winter, Canada's health sector stakeholders identified three key priority pan-Canadian strategies to deal with the critical nursing human resource challenges in Canada:

1. Optimize use of nurses' knowledge and skills - Allow nurses to practice to their level of competency in all clinical settings.

2. Link planning with other health professions - Develop a pan-Canadian interprofessional health human resource strategy.

3. Ensure a future supply of nurses - Provide funding to increase the capacity of nursing education programs in Canada.

The stakeholders also suggested that a pan-Canadian planning body be explored to coordinate and monitor the progress of health human resources issues.

For further information, please visit www.buildingthefuture.ca