Professional Development

Cultural safety occurs when nurses engage in respectful engagement that recognizes and strives to address power imbalances that exist in all aspects of the health care system (Curtis et al., 2019). NANB believes that creation of culturally safe environments is central to providing safe, ethical, and competent nursing care. Below are educational resources to support nurses in reflecting on and actively creating a plan for professional development related to the creation of a culturally safe practice environments.

Supporting Culturally Safe Nursing Care (March 2022)

Indigenous Health (Canadian Nurses Association)

Aboriginal Affairs (Government of New Brunswick)

First Nations Cultural Competency (Horizon Health)

Case Study: Providing Culturally Safe Care (NANB)

Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association

First Nations Health Authority(FNHA)

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The toolkit linked below was created by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) to raise awareness about the inequities Indigenous peoples face, inspire compassion and drive conversations to close the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

https://theunforgotten.cma.ca/education/

This series of three fact sheets created by the National Collaborating Center for Indigenous Health focuses on racism experienced by Indigenous peoples in Canada – how to understand it in historical context, how it affects individuals and communities, and what programs, policies and strategies exist to combat it.

https://www.nccih.ca/28/Social_Determinants_of_Health.nccih?id=337

The seventh release in the Let’s Talk series, authored by the National Collaborating Center for Determinants of Health discusses racism as a critical factor that impacts health and wellbeing. It describes the concepts of race, racism and racialization and emphasizes settler colonialism and structural racism as the root causes of health and social inequities experienced by Indigenous and racialized peoples in Canada.

https://nccdh.ca/resources/entry/lets-talk-racism-and-health-equity

Nurses are expected to incorporate the principles of trauma- and violence-informed care (TVIC) into their practice. TVIC includes creating emotionally, culturally, and physically safe services by understanding the experiences of trauma and their impacts on peoples’ lives and behaviours. It also accounts for the intersecting impacts of systemic and interpersonal violence and the structural inequities on a person’s life, emphasizing both historical and ongoing violence and their traumatic impacts. Key principles include: fostering trust by offering authentic choice, collaboration, and connection; providing strengths-based and capacity-building care to support clients; and creating environments where clients do not experience re-traumatization or harm.

The following external resources are intended to help nurses enhance their understanding of TVIC. These resources can also help nurses incorporate these principles into their practice setting.

EQUIP Health care: Trauma- and Violence Informed Care- A tool for your practice and organization

 Canadian Public Health Association: Trauma- and violence- informed care toolkit

Government of Canada: Trauma and violence-informed approaches to policy and practice

EQUIP Health care: Trauma- and Violence-Informed Care Foundations e-learning module

• Documents and Resources (NANB)
• Webinars (NANB)
• Latest News and Events (NANB)
• ​Canadian Nurses Association (CNA)
• Canadian Nurses Protective Society (CNPS)
• Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN)
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
• Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada (ISMP)
• MDBriefCase
• The Centre for Professional Development 
• Sexual Orientation Gender Identity Nursing Education
• The Canadian Public Health Association Learning Site

Harm reduction is a pragmatic framework that aims to reduce the adverse health, social, and economic consequences of risky health behaviours or lifestyle choices (Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), 2018). Although harm reduction is most commonly associated with substance use, it also includes public health approaches to risky health behaviours, such as safer sexual practices, driving, gambling, and other activities (CNA, 2018). The key principles of harm reduction include respecting the rights of clients, committing to evidence-informed and socially just nursing practice, collaborating with clients, and avoiding stigma.

The following external resources provide foundational information on harm reduction.

Harm Reduction Fundamentals: A toolkit for service providers

Harm Reduction – Canadian Drug Policy Coalition

Ontario Harm Reduction Network: Courses and Webinars (Available in English only)

Harm Reduction Saves Lives: 11-part series aims to help nurses offer better support for people who use drugs

The MN program is designed to ensure that students acquire a thorough, integrated knowledge of nursing research, theory, and practice. The goal of the MN program is to prepare nurses for advanced practice and leadership in clinical, educational, administrative, and research roles.

For more information on the Master of Nursing program, please contact the University of your choice directly.

• Université de Moncton
• University of New Brunswick

Specialty certification is a voluntary program that allows nurses to build on the solid foundation of the Canadian RN registration and the clinical experience gained in a specialty. Certification helps nurses stay current by testing their specialized knowledge and skills.

The CNA Certification Program offers certification in 22 nursing practice specialties. As of January 2020, 19 certification exams are offered.

For more information: CNA Certification Program