Canadian Nurses Association

Canadian Nurses Association (CNA),

the official national organization for the professional registered nurses of Canada who are members of the nine provincial nurses' associations, the Northwest Territories Registered Nurses Association, and the Yukon Registered Nurses Association. The CNA, a federation of these 11 associations, is supported by membership fees from the association members. The chief objective of the CNA is to promote high standards of nursing practice, education, research, and administration in order to achieve high quality of nursing care in the interest of the people of Canada. It is concerned with the standards of education for nurses, social and economic welfare of nurses, advancement of competence and expertise within the profession, promotion of unity and understanding among the members, and national and international representation of the organized profession of nurses. A board of elected directors and a permanent staff working at CNA House in Ottawa manage the affairs of the organization. Among the services provided are a research and advisory unit that studies trends in nursing and health and prepares briefs when necessary; a national library containing reference works, the national and international archives of nursing, and up-to-date lists of educational programs in nursing; an information service that collects and disseminates information about nursing and publishes The Canadian Nurse and L'infirmière Canadienne; a labor relations service; a certification program; a testing service; a governmental liaison service; and an international service that facilitates a working relationship with various organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization. All services are provided in the two official languages of Canada, English and French. The CNA is a member of the International Council of Nursing.