July 21, 2026 (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) — As Canada’s premiers gather in Charlottetown for the Council of the Federation summer meeting, the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) is urging them to act on proven solutions that can improve access to care, support the nursing workforce, and strengthen health systems for people across Canada.
With demand rising and too many people waiting too long for care, premiers have an opportunity to act now. By updating policies, funding models, and regulatory approaches, provinces and territories can enable Canada’s half a million nurses to use their full knowledge and skills within their legislated scope of practice, work more easily where they are needed, and help shape how new technologies enter health care.
“Nursing is one of the most practical solutions premiers have to improve access to care and strengthen health systems,” said Dr. Valerie Grdisa, CEO of CNA. “Premiers have an opportunity now to align policy, regulation and innovation with the nursing expertise that already exists in every province and territory.”
CNA is calling on premiers to:
- Enable nurses to use their full knowledge and skills: update policy, funding, and regulatory approaches so nurses can work to their full legislated scope of practice and expertise, including expanding nurse prescribing and supporting nurse practitioner-led and collaborative team-based care.
- Make it easier for nurses to work where they are needed: advance greater alignment of nursing regulation across provinces and territories to improve labour mobility, including for internationally educated nurses.
- Ensure artificial intelligence (AI) in health care is safe and accountable: establish clear safeguards for AI in health care, including standards for safety, equity, transparency, clinical validation, and human oversight, with nurses helping shape how these tools are integrated, monitored and evaluated.
“AI is reshaping health care, and nurses are needed to lead in this change,” said Dr. Tracie Risling, president of CNA. “Nurses bring a holistic view of care, systems and the impact of technology on patient and practitioner experiences. These expert perspectives are essential to making sure AI is a safe, equitable, accountable and effective driver of transformation.”
CNA’s recommendations align with the premiers’ existing commitment to improve labour mobility for the health workforce and support health systems that deliver better access, better outcomes, and greater value for the public. These evidence-informed solutions can help people across Canada get the care they need, when and where they need it.
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About the Canadian Nurses Association
The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) is the national and global professional voice of Canadian nursing. Our mission is to advance the nursing profession to improve health outcomes in Canada’s publicly funded, not-for-profit health system. CNA is the only national association that speaks for nurses in all sectors and practice settings across all 13 provinces and territories. We represent unionized and non-unionized nurses, retired nurses, nursing students, and nurses across all four regulated designations: licensed and registered practical nurses, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses.