CNA Recognizes Employers Committed to Supporting Nursing Knowledge
July 23, 2007, Ottawa – As nurses face increasingly complex cases in their practice, the need for continuing education has never been stronger. Annually, the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) recognizes employers who support registered nurses in their pursuit of national certification in nursing specialties. The recipient of the 2006-2007 Employer Recognition Award is Saint Elizabeth Health Care in Toronto.
“Obtaining the CNA certification is an important indicator to patients, colleagues and employers that the certified nurse is qualified, competent and current in a nursing specialty,” said Marlene Smadu, president of CNA. “Employers who, like Saint Elizabeth Health Care, champion specialty certification are to be commended for their dedication to supporting nursing knowledge and development.”
CNA offers voluntary certification in English and French for registered nurses as part of an established national certification program. The certification is offered in 17 specialty areas including neuroscience, cardiovascular, nephrology, emergency and community health nursing. Currently there are about 14,088 CNA-certified nurses in Canada, and close to 3,000 Canadian nurses are newly certified or renew their CNA certification credential each year.
To maintain their licence, registered nurses assess their general competence by reviewing and reflecting on their practice and are required to carry out a yearly self-assessment as part of provincial and territorial continuing competence requirements. The continuous learning involved in obtaining CNA certification may be used to fulfill competence requirements.
Saint Elizabeth Health Care is recognized for imbedding the national practice standards and their associated nursing specialty competencies into the practice infrastructure of the organization, allocating time to the development of the preparation courses and reimbursing examination and renewal fees. Saint Elizabeth Health Care, which provides community-based health services, will be receiving $1,000 from the Canadian Nurses Foundation to help support ongoing activities related to CNA certification and CNA certification renewal.
“We are extremely honoured to receive this award,” said Nancy Lefebre, senior vice-president of knowledge and practice at Saint Elizabeth Health Care. “As a knowledge and care exchange company, we value the outcomes that CNA certification brings by encouraging nurses to achieve excellence in care and to learn and grow professionally and personally.” Shirlee Sharkey, president and CEO, added, “The knowledge and standards within the CNA certification program are a great benefit not only to our staff and the people we serve but also to our national and international consulting clients.”
The following organizations receive honourable mentions for their support and encouragement of nurses pursuing certification:
- Providence Continuing Care Centre, Kingston, Ontario
- Saint John Regional Hospital - Emergency Department, Saint John, New Brunswick
CNA also recognizes employer innovation through the Employer Recognition Program Award for Innovation.The 2006 recipients are:
- Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital, Fredericton, New Brunswick
- Humber River Regional Hospital, Toronto, Ontario
- Leamington District Memorial Hospital, Leamington, Ontario
CNA is the national professional voice of registered nurses in Canada. It is a federation of 11 provincial and territorial professional associations and regulatory authorities for registered nurses. CNA believes that the sustainability of a publicly funded, publicly administered, not-for-profit health system rests upon a vibrant nursing workforce.
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For more information on CNA’s Certification Program, visit: http://www.cna-aiic.ca/CNA/nursing/certification/default_e.aspx
Contact:
Tina Grznar
Communications Specialist
Canadian Nurses Association
Tel. (613) 237-2159 ext. 283
E-mail: tgrznar@cna-aiic.ca
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