April 9, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – The Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN), representing 93 Canadian schools of nursing, unveils its 2025 federal election platform: Educate Nurses, Elevate Care. CASN urges all political parties to commit to investing in high-quality nursing education, which will support a stronger, more accessible, equitable, and sustainable health system.

As Canada faces an increasingly complex health care landscape, CASN stresses that the need for skilled and highly educated nurses has never been greater and that meeting the current health care needs starts with investing in quality nursing education. CASN highlights four specific actions that immediate federal investment in nursing education will trigger:

1. Restore access to primary care. Ensure future nurses are prepared to care for Canadians in the community, at home, and in long-term care, including rural and remote areas.
2. Promote healthy communities. Have health professionals with expertise in health promotion who are able to improve population well-being and mitigate population-level health challenges, from pandemics to planetary health.
3. Address health equity. Equip future nurses to recognize and address structural and systemic barriers in health care, and actively challenge racism and discrimination at all levels.
4. Tip the scales on the health human resources crisis. Ensure new graduates are prepared to deliver complex care in a health care system challenged by staff shortages and that enough master’s-prepared and PhD-prepared nurses are supplied to address the nurse educator shortage.

“Nursing education is a matter of public importance, transcending political divides. It remains a critical issue for health care institutions and the Canadian population that nurses have access to quality education, including evidence-informed retention and transition plans,” said Suzanne Harrison, CASN President.

CASN recommends advancing the following nursing education priorities to give Canadians the care they deserve:

• Maintain advancing health equity as a national priority. The momentum for change cannot slow, and the conversation must not shift. It is our collective responsibility, across health care education and practice, to foster decolonization and Indigenization, as well as to dismantle racism and all forms of discrimination, ensuring a health care system that is truly inclusive and serves all Canadians equitably.
• Recognize that place matters in education. Fund and support innovative nursing education models that increase access for students in rural, remote, and Northern communities. Local training opportunities help build a workforce that stays and serves where care is most needed.
• Support public education. Financially supporting quality, accredited nursing education ensures nurses have the capacity to care for Canadians in all settings.
• Realize the value of NP education. Nurse practitioners (NPs) bring advanced education and expertise, allowing them to provide primary and specialized care across various settings. Investing in NP education and workforce integration is a proven solution to improving access to care and alleviating strain on the health care system.
• Strengthen transition to practice. New graduates, internationally educated nurses, and those transitioning to new practice areas require mentorship and support to build confidence, reduce stress, and increase retention to stabilize and strengthen the nursing workforce. Funding transition and integration programs ensures all nurses can flourish in the Canadian health care workforce.
• Protect the national voice of nursing. Make permanent the Chief Nursing Officer of Canada position to bring together nursing organizations from across the country to continue to work together to advance priorities of the nursing profession in the interest of healthier Canadians.

“Political leaders must ensure that when that time comes, Canadians receive not only timely care but also the high-quality care they are entitled to,” said Suzanne Harrison, CASN President. “This begins with a commitment to providing nurses with the education, training, and transition support they need to deliver exceptional care.”

CASN’s federal election platform outlines nursing education investments to provide nurses with the expertise, leadership, and adaptability needed to meet the current health human resources challenges and deliver exceptional care to Canadians. By supporting nursing education now, we are laying the groundwork for a healthier, stronger Canada tomorrow.

About the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing

The Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) is the national voice for nursing education, research, and scholarship and represents baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs across Canada. CASN’s mission is to lead nursing education and nursing scholarship in the interest of healthier Canadians.

For more information:

Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing
Telephone: (613) 235-3150
Email: press@casn.ca
Website: www.casn.ca