Abstract

The Canadian healthcare system must change to meet current and future realities, particularly to respond effectively to changing age and cultural demographics and new medical/scientific technologies. To meet its ongoing policy role, the Canadian Nurses Association established a National Expert Commission in 2011, mandated to prepare a report on healthcare reform and transformation, with a clear focus on the role individual nurses and the nursing profession generally could play in ensuring better health, better care and better value for Canadians. In this paper, Commission co-chair, health law specialist Maureen McTeer, outlines the key findings and recommendations of their final report, titled A Nursing Call to Action: The Health of our Nation, the Future of our Health System which she and co-chair Dr. Marlene Smadu presented originally at the CNA's biennial meeting in Vancouver, in June, 2012. The discussion focuses on the rationale behind the commission's recommendation for a new registered nursing education curriculum and approach to training.