Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada Calls for Integration of NP Leadership in Health System Decision-Making
Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada
VANCOUVER, CANADA, November 14, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada (NPAC) is calling for the full integration of Nurse Practitioners (NPs) into leadership and decision-making at every level of Canada’s health system. With over 12,000 NPs practicing nationwide, it is time for their distinct voice and expertise to help shape the policies, governance, and funding models that impact patient care and system performance.
Honouring the Foundations of Nursing Leadership:
For more than 50 years, NPs have contributed to the Canadian health system, building on the advocacy of Registered Nurses (RNs) and nursing leaders who first championed advanced practice. NPAC recognizes and honours the foundational work of RNs and non-practicing NPs whose scholarship, research, and policy advocacy established the NP role and secured its foothold in Canadian health care.
A Distinct and Growing Profession:
Today, the NP role is well established, distinct, and rapidly expanding. Many NPs hold doctoral education and leadership experience in clinical practice, health system operations, and medical governance. NPs have unique competencies and accountabilities that extend into autonomous clinical decision-making, advanced medical management, and system-level leadership.
“NPs are not at decision-making tables to represent RNs. We are there to represent NPs,” said President Elect, Ellen Christie. “Just as other nursing professions speak for themselves, so too must NPs be present in decisions that directly affect our role and our patients.”
The Call for Inclusion in Governance:
NPAC emphasizes that decisions about the NP role must include practicing NPs themselves, not solely RNs or non-practicing NPs. This applies across regulatory frameworks, government policy, workforce planning, education, and funding models. While the contributions of RNs and retired NPs remain essential, only practicing NPs bring the lived experience and advanced expertise required to ensure decisions are relevant and aligned with today's patient realities.
Leadership at Every Table:
NPs are actively engaged in advocacy at both national and provincial levels. Through NPAC and provincial/territorial NP associations, as well as NP councils within nursing organizations, NPs are prepared to expand their leadership. Their voices complement RN perspectives but are not interchangeable.
“The time has come for NPs to integrate fully into leadership at every table where decisions are made about our role,” says President, Dr. Laura Housden. “By bringing NP voices forward, we will strengthen regulation, enrich policy, inform better funding models, and ultimately build a stronger health system for all Canadians.”
About the Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada (NPAC)
The Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada is the national voice of Nurse Practitioners, advocating for equitable, accessible, and high-quality care for all Canadians. NPAC supports the advancement of NP leadership, education, and practice across the country.
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