In this mini teamBIT of an episode, Morgan is podcasting solo and looks into what a certified practice means in nursing, specifically in the context of British Columbia. There are five distinct areas of certified practice for nurses in BC, and they allow for autonomous diagnosis and treatment within specific scopes.

Morgan goes into detail for each certified practice: reproductive health, STI treatment, opioid use disorder management, RN first call, and remote practice. Emphasis is placed on the benefits of certified practice for primary care teams and the importance of integrating these certifications into practice.

Special Thanks

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Throughout this season you’ll hear from several amazing nurses:

• Angela Wignall is a Registered Nurse who has worked in perinatal health and public health. Since recording this episode Angela has been promoted to the CEO of the Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC from her position as Senior Executive Director. Angela is also a board member at the Canadian Nurses Association.
• Diana Boateng is a Registered Nurse and is working on her dual master’s degree in nursing and health informatics. In her Masters, she is a co-op student working with the Innovation Support Unit. Her background is mostly in acute care but she has been interested in exploring what it means to be a nurse in primary care.
• Hannah Roy works as a Registered Nurse in primary care and urgent primary care. She has certified practice in STI management and is completing her Masters degree to be a nurse practitioner.
• Jamie Duteil is a Registered Nurse and the Health System Improvement Director at Health Quality BC. She has managed urgent primary care centres and acute care centres.
• Kacey Wall is a Registered Nurse and a diabetes educator, she has worked in primary care networks and is a team member of the Innovation Support Unit.
• Nikki Kafal is a Registered Nurse and has spent her career working in emergency and critical care settings. She is completing a dual master degree in nursing and health informatics and joins the Innovation Support Unit as a co-op student.

Links and Resources

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BCCNM Certified Practice website details the five certified practice designations available for nurses in BC along with their scope: https://www.bccnm.ca/RN/learning/certified-practice/Pages/Default.aspx

BCCNM Section 8: Restricted activities for certified practice gives more detail on the 5 certified practice designations: https://www.bccnm.ca/RN/ScopePractice/part4/section8/Pages/Default.aspx

Canadian Nursing Association - Advanced Practice Nursing webpage provides detailed information on both the clinical nurse specialist and nurse practitioner role and how they help meet the complex health needs of Canadians: https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/nursing/advanced-nursing-practice