Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards of Practice

1 Canadian Community Health NursingStandards of PracticeCanadian Community Health Nursing Standards of Practice /Association canadienne des infirmi res et infirmiers en sant communautaireFirst published October 2003 Edited and translated March 2008 Community Health NursesAssociation of CanadaThe Community Health Nurses Association of Canada(CHNAC) is a voluntary national association of communityhealth nurses structured as a federation of participating provincialand territorial Community Health Nursing interest is a recognized Associate Member of the CanadianNurses Association and participates in all the rights and obligations that this recognition StatementThe Community Health Nurses Association of Canada, as afederation of provincial and territorial Community Health nursesinterest groups, provides a unified voice to represent andpromotecommunity Health Nursing and the Health of Community Health NursingStandards of PracticeFirst published October 2003 Revised March 2008To obtain additional copies of this document or for further information about Community Health Nursing , please contactCHNAC.

2 This document is also available for downloading fromthe CHNAC website. AcknowledgementsThe Community Health Nurses Association of Canada gratefullyacknowledges the funders of the Standards development project: Alberta Community Health Nurses Association Canadian Nurses Association Community Health Nurses Initiatives Group of theRegistered Nurses' Association of Ontario ParaMed Health care Services Public Health , New Brunswick Department of Healthand Wellness Saint Elizabeth Health care University of Victoria School of Nursing Victorian Order of Nurses (Canada)CHNAC gratefully acknowledges the expertise of graphicdesigner Judy Lalonde, Barrie, Ontario, whose talent has refinedand enhanced the design of the conceptual model for these also extends its deep thanks and appreciation to JoyceFox, RN, BScN, MHS, former President of the CommunityHealth Nurses Initiatives Group of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, former member of the CHNAC executive, and Director, Healthy Living Service, Simcoe CountyDistrict Health Unit, Barrie, Ontario.

3 Joyce s content expertiseand comprehensive editorial review has significantly strengthenedand enriched this for this publication was provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada. The opinions expressed in this publicationare those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Public Health Agency of or for-profit redistribution of this document in part or in whole is prohibited except with the written consent of is granted to reproduce this document for personal or educational use. Please recognize CHNAC. Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards of Practice (Revised 2008) ISBN 978-0-9733774-2-2 Community Health Nurses Association of Canada1185 Eglinton Avenue East - Suite 10, Toronto, Ontario M3C 3C6 Phone: 416 426-7029 Fax: 416 426-7280 Email: Best, RN, BN, MEdDirector, Community Health ServicesCalgary Health Region, Calgary, AlbertaClaire Betker, RN, MNDirector, Public HealthWinnipeg Regional Health Authority, Winnipeg, ManitobaShelley Corvino, BScN, IBCLCP ublic Health Nursing Orientation CoordinatorWinnipeg Regional Health Authority, Winnipeg, ManitobaElizabeth (Liz)

4 Diem, RN, PhD*School of NursingUniversity of Ottawa, Ottawa, OntarioRosemarie Goodyear, BN, MSAA ssistant Executive Director, Child, Youth and Family ProgramsHealth and Community Services Central RegionRosemary Graham, RN, BScN, MNNurse Practitioner-In-Charge, Dawson Community Health Centre Department of Health and Social Services, Governmentof Yukon, Dawson City, Yukon Barbara HarveyDepartment of Health and Social ServicesGovernment of Nunavut, Kugluktuk, NunavutJudith Lapierre, RN, PhDUniversit du Qu bec Hull, Gatineau, Qu becJo-Ann MacDonald, BScN, MNAssistant Professor, School of Nursing ,University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Ed-ward IslandMary Martin-Smith, BScN, RN* Public Health Nursing Consultant, Population Health BranchSaskatchewan Health , Regina, SaskatchewanBeth McGinnis, RN, MEd, MNProject Manager, Public Health New Brunswick Department of Health and Wellness,Fredericton, New BrunswickDonna Meagher-Stewart, PhD, RN*Associate Professor, School of Nursing Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova ScotiaBarbara Mildon, RN, MN, CHE*Chair, Community Health Nursing Standards CommitteePresident, Community Health Nurses Association of CanadaVice-President, Nursing Leadership, Saint Elizabeth HealthCare, Markham, OntarioShirley Sterlinger, RN, BScN* Public Health NurseBurnaby, British Columbia*Member of the Synthesis & Evaluation SubcommitteeCommunity Health Nursing Standards Committee (2003)Contents Overview.

5 5 About this document .. 5 Developing Standards for Community Health Nursing .. 5 Purpose of these Standards .. 5 Community Health Nursing .. 6 Mission .. 6 Values and beliefs .. 6 Home Health and public Health Nursing .. 8 The Canadian Community Health Nursing Practice Model .. 9 Community Health Nursing Standards of Practice .. 10 Standard 1 Promoting Health .. 10a) Health promotion .. 10b) Prevention and Health protection .. 11c) Health maintenance, restoration and palliation .. 11 Standard 2 Building individual and Community capacity .. 12 Standard 3 Building relationships .. 13 Standard 4 Facilitating access and equity .. 13 Standard 5 Demonstrating professional responsibility and accountability .. 14 Supporting MaterialDefinitions .. 16 References .. 18 Bibliography .. 19 Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards OF PRACTICE5 The Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards of Practicerepresent a vision for excellence in Community Health Standards define Community Health Nursing Practice and setout the professional expectations for Community Health apply to Community Health nurses working in Practice ,education, administration or research.

6 They set a benchmarkfor new Community Health nurses and become basic practiceexpectations after two years of this documentDesigned to support Community Health Nursing Practice , this document summarizes the development and purpose of communityhealth Nursing Standards describes Community Health Nursing and its mission, valuesand beliefs, and Practice focus areas of home Health and publichealth Nursing provides a framework for Community Health Nursing practicein the Canadian Community Health Nursing Practice Model presents the five Standards of Practice and indicators showinghow Community Health nurses apply these Standards lists definitions and sourcesDeveloping Standards forcommunity Health nursingThe Community Health Nurses Association of Canada (CHNAC)led the development of national Practice Standards for communityhealth Nursing .

7 CHNAC is the national voice for communityhealth nurses in Canada and an associate group of the CanadianNurses Association. Since 1987 CHNAC has advanced the workand values of Canada's Community Health nurses with an emphasison public Health and home Health there were no national Standards for Community healthnursing, although at least one province had developed its ownstandards (the 1985 Ontario Standards , now out of print). TheCanadian Public Health Association s 1990 booklet CommunityHealth Public Health Nursing in Canadais an excellent referencefor Community Health Nursing Practice , but it does not explicitlyidentify Practice Standards . The process to develop standardsbegan in 2000 with a national panel of expert Community healthnurses, followed by extensive consultation with almost 1000community Health nurses across Canada. A representativecommittee of Community Health nurses in CHNAC usedthis consultation feedback to develop the national Standards .

8 CHNAC first published the Canadian Community Health NursingStandards of Practice in October 2003. The Canadian NursesAssociation accepted the Standards and designated communityhealth Nursing as a speciality Practice in 2004. Purpose of these Standards A key characteristic of a self-regulating profession like Nursing isthe development of Standards of Practice based on the values ofthe profession. Practice Standards describe the knowledge, skills,judgment and attitudes needed to Practice Nursing safely. Theyrepresent the desirable and achievable levels of performanceexpected of nurses in their Practice and provide criteria formeasuring actual performance (College of Nurses of Ontario, 2002).Every nurse is accountable for the fundamental knowledge andexpectations of basic Nursing Practice regardless of their practicefocus or setting. These Standards expand upon generic nursingpractice expectations and identify the Practice principles andvariationsspecific to Community Health Nursing Practice .

9 Whilenurses with varied levels of preparation may Practice in thecommunity setting, these Standards apply specifically to thepractice of registered Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards of Practice define the scope and depth of Community Nursing Practice establish criteria or expectations for acceptable nursingpractice and safe, ethical care support ongoing development of Community Health Nursing promote Community Health Nursing as a specialty provide the foundation for certification of Community healthnursing as a specialty by the Canadian Nurses Association inspire excellence in and commitment to Community Nursing practiceAll Community Health nurses are expected to know and use thesestandards when working in any of the areas of Practice , education,administration or research. Nurses in clinical Practice will use thestandards to guide and evaluate their own Practice .

10 Nursingeducators will include the Standards in course curricula to preparenew graduates for Practice in Community settings. Nurseadministrators will use them to direct policy and guide performanceexpectations. Nurse researchers will use these Standards to guidethe development of knowledge specific to Community Health Nursing . Nurses may enter Community Health Nursing as new practitionersand require experience and opportunities for additional learningand skill development to help them develop their Practice . TheCommunity Health Nursing Standards of Practice become basicpractice expectations after two years of experience. The practiceof expert Community Health nurses will extend beyond Community Health Nursing Standards OF PRACTICE6 Evolving from centuries of Community care by laywomen andmembers of religious orders, Community Health Nursing started togain recognition as a Nursing specialty in the Health Nursing has been indelibly shaped by such remarkable nurses as Florence Nightingale and Lillian Wald andorganizations such as the Victorian Order of Nurses, the HenryStreet Settlement and the Canadian Red Cross Society.