Three Decades of Professional Nursing Leadership: The Impact of the Community Health Nurses of Canada.

In 1987, six Canadian community health nursing leaders recognized the need for a national body to represent and advocate for the diverse practice of community health nursing and the health of communities. Their vision and action three decades ago resulted in the formation of the Community Health Nurses of Canada (CHNC), a national professional nursing association. This paper will describe the development of CHNC from an early vision to a recognized centre of excellence for community health nursing in Canada.

Developing guidelines for quality community health nursing clinical placements for baccalaureate nursing students.

Rapidly increasing enrollment in Canadian schools of nursing has triggered the development of innovative clinical placement sites. There are both opportunities and challenges inherent in the delivery of clinical nursing education in diverse community settings. As part of the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing's (CASN) ongoing work to assist its members and ensure baccalaureate graduates are prepared to meet the Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards of Practice at an entry-to-practice level, the CASN Sub-Committee on Public Health (funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada) conducted extensive national consultations with representatives from both academic and practice settings, as well as key national organizations.