About Us
Who are Advanced Practice Nurses?
An Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) is a registered nurse with advanced knowledge in a specialized area of clinical practice.
The Advanced Practice Nurse role describes nurses functioning as Clinical Nurse Specialists, Advanced Practice Nurses (formerly known as Acute Care Nurse Practitioners who will be registered as Nurse Practitioner-Adult & Nurse Practitioner-Paediatric), or Nurse Practitioners-Primary Health Care .
What is our Focus?
- to provide and support exemplary patient care
- to provide a forum to address professional practice issues
- to address and support clinical, educational and research accomplishments and challenges
- to identify and influence corporate, local, provincial, national and international policy affecting health care and the advanced practice nursing role
What do we Do?
 The Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is a registered nurse with minimal preparation at the Master level, usually in the discipline of nursing. This person possesses
a comprehensive nursing knowledge base and clinical competence in caring for a select patient group with specialized health needs. The CNS assists patients and families
with hospitalization, education around a diagnosis, adjusting to special needs at home, and family adaptation to patient problems. In addition to clinical practice, the
CNS provides leadership at the program, corporate and professional levels; education of staff and clinical partners as preceptor, coach or mentor; and formal and informal
consultation to the interdisciplinary team members and clinical partners regarding patient, family, and professional practice issues.
The Adult and Paediatric Nurse Practitioner (formerly the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner or ACNP). As we transition to these titles and write the appropriate extended nursing class exam the title Advanced Practice Nurse is used. The NP-Adult or NP-Pediatrics is a registered nurse with minimal preparation at the Master level, usually in the discipline of nursing, who has completed an
approved acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP) program that focuses on either adults or paediatric (including neonatal) patients. The graduate of these programs are eligible to write the extended nursing class exam. The program & registration exam provides the NP with the ability to function in an expanded clinical role by focusing on advanced
health assessment, advanced pathophysiology, advanced pharmacotherapeutics, incorporated with medical decision-making and diagnostic reasoning. With the addition of the
medical model into the knowledge base, NPs are able to provide comprehensive management of complex patients autonomously and in collaboration with physician partners.
In this expanded clinical role, the NP may use medical directives to initiate patient care in a timely and effective manner. The NPs provide care to specialized patient
populations in both the inpatient and ambulatory settings supporting life-saving and curative goals as well as evaluating health risks.
 The Nurse Practitioner - Primary Health Care (NP-PHC) is a registered nurse with minimal preparation at the Baccalaureate level in nursing with advanced health assessment
and pharmacotherapeutics from an approved PHCNP program. The PHCNP is qualified to write the College of Nurses Extended Class Exam (EC) which provides a legislated expanded
scope of practice. The PHCNP works most commonly with patients in primary health care areas such as family health centres, emergency, and ambulatory clinics. Within these
settings, the PHCNP provides individuals of all ages, families, groups, and communities with health services in health promotion, disease and injury prevention, cure,
rehabilitation, and support. Within the hospital setting, the PHCNP may also function under medical directives to provide an expanded scope of practice.
Soon to Come: The NP-Anesthesia
How do we Contribute to Health Care?
- Streamline Patient Care Process
- provide holistic assessment and management of patient/family health which may include tasks that have previously been in the domain of medicine (e.g. ordering medications)
- coordinate discharge follow-up with family physicians, specialists, homecare and other agencies
- Saving Health Care Dollars
- decrease length of stay in acute-care facilities
- optimize patient health and safety prior to admission and discharge
- coordinate care to reduce duplication and expedite the process of care
- facilitate appropriate and efficient use of resources in alternate levels of care
- provide continuity of care to patients/family
- Pro-active approach to health promotion & illness prevention
- collaborate with patients/families to enable health promoting behaviours
- refer to allied health members and rehabilitative professionals
- provide education and counseling
- Professional Leadership
- support quality of health care education by teaching, mentoring and
participating in program development and evaluation
- promote excellence in care through evidence-based and innovative practice
- promote patient advocacy
- Research
- identify clinical questions; initiates research to expand knowledge
- interpret and communicate research through presentations and publications
- initiate changes in practice based on new research findings
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