The nurses' group is optimistic that the premiers' newfound sense of unity

Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) is hopeful that the premiers' new spirit of cooperation—described as a "united Team Canada" approach—will lead to harmonization of nurses' licences across Canada.

Key Points:

The CNA and Canadian Medical Association (CMA) have long pushed for cross-provincial recognition of licences for nurses and doctors, which would improve labour mobility.

The CNA's CEO, Valerie Grdisa, said that premiers showed a new level of cooperation at their recent meeting in Huntsville, Ontario, attended by Prime Minister Mark Carney.

While health care was a major topic, much of the meeting focused on U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war.

Premiers and the federal government have committed to reducing interprovincial trade and labour mobility barriers, but recent federal legislation did not include health-care workers.

Nurses and doctors remain provincially licensed, and advocacy groups want regulatory bodies to enable cross-province licensing to address workforce shortages.


The premiers' final statement said they plan to work on improving labour mobility, which could be a step toward harmonized nursing regulations.