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who are our nurses? a look into canada’s types of nurses and what they do

canada's nurses work on the frontlines to ensure that you and your families are well taken care of in the event of injury, illness, and disease.

by angelica bottaro

may 9 2024
read time 4 minute read
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depending on where their passion lies, there are various types of nurses and specialties people can get involved in. getty images
nurses work alongside other medical health professionals to promote 2022年世界杯名单猜测, prevent disease, and help people dealing with all sorts of illnesses, from chronic to acute. in 2022, roughly 419 thousand canadian nurses were working on the frontlines of healthcare, helping people heal, cope, and treat disease.
they are often the first to see patients, and perform all sorts of tasks such as:
  • observation
  • assessments
  • recording symptoms and intake
  • administering medications
  • monitoring patient recovery
  • performing medical exams
of course, if you were to ask a nurse what they do, they would likely say a lot more than that. those who work in the nursing industry are often the lifeblood of healthcare, putting in the hours to take care of those who need it most.
depending on where their passion lies, there are various types of nurses and specialties people can get involved in, each as important as the last when looking at the complete picture of healthcare in canada.

types of nurses

in canada, people looking to join the league of nurses can choose from four different types, all of which require different training and schooling avenues. the four types are:

registered practical nurse (rpn) and licensed practical nurses (lpn)

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rpns and lpns study to become nurses in a college program. once completed, they have a two-year diploma that allows them to go on to take the national licensing exam in nursing.
rpns and lpns typically work in stabilized healthcare settings, such as care centres, hospitals, physicians’ offices, private homes, and medical facilities. while other types of nurses assist doctors in developing treatment plans for patients, lpns and rpns are responsible for administering the treatments directly to those who need them.

registered nurse (rn)

rns acquire their training through a university in canada or an international equivalent. they hold either a bachelor of science in nursing or a bachelor of nursing degree by completing a four-year program. they train the longest of all nurses, second only to nurse practitioners.
rns undergo generalized training, so when they perform their job duties, they have a well-rounded knowledge and education equipped to handle various patient needs and situations that are different from the norm, such as in emergency care.

nurse practitioner (np)

nps start as rns and typically go on to choose a specialty by way of a master’s degree or advanced nursing diploma. they choose specialty areas of nursing based on the type of care they want to provide.

what are the key differences between nurses in canada?

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canadian centre for caregiving excellence

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the two most significant differences between the different nurses in canada are education, training, and salary once they are in the workforce. the longer a person studies and the more certification they have, the higher their salary will be once they begin working.

nurse specialities

once a nurse has chosen their specific type and certification, they often pick a specialized focus in healthcare depending on the area of health they are most passionate about. there are over 100 nursing specialties one can choose from.
some of the common specialties in canada include:
  • cardiovascular: care, treatment, and rehabilitation for people with heart disease
  • gastroenterology: care, treatment, and rehabilitation for people with gastroenterological disorders and diseases
  • rehabilitation: work with people with disabilities and chronic disease to help restore or maintain quality of life or adapt to an altered lifestyle
  • neuroscience: care, treatment, and rehabilitation for people who experience brain and nervous system disorders, such as stroke, alzheimer’s, and brain injuries
  • psychiatric: assess, evaluate, and plan care for people with various psychiatric conditions and disorders
  • oncology: care and management of cancer care and treatments, such as chemotherapy
  • hospice palliative care: work to improve quality of life, patient care, and end-of-life wishes for patients
  • enterostomal: trained in caring for and assisting patients with ostomies, which are pouching systems designed to allow bodily waste to be excreted from the body through a hole in the abdomen
  • community health: work to promote individual, family, and community health through support, care, advocacy, and treatment
  • perioperative: provides care to patients before, during, and after surgery
  • perianesthesia: monitor patients recovering from procedures that require anesthesia
  • critical care: assess, monitor, treat, and care for patients in critical care units
  • perinatal: work with pregnant people and their families to educate and support the transition through pregnancy and into parenthood
  • emergency: triage, identify, care, and treat patients who have traumatic or severe medical conditions or injuries that require immediate medical attention
  • gerontological: care and treat older adults to maximize quality of life and minimize the effects of medical conditions and disabilities as people age
  • occupational health: provide testing and screening services, and treat work-related injuries while also educating people and organizations on the importance of health as it relates to a person’s professional life

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while many nurses work in different settings, and with those who have varying degrees of illness and types of conditions, those who go into specializations choose one and focus on that for much of their career.
nurses are indispensable in the healthcare system, and many people are able to access the care they need because a nurse is there to help. currently, there is a global nursing shortage affecting all countries, making nursing a highly in-demand career option for those looking to make a difference in the lives of real canadians.
angelica bottaro
angelica bottaro

angelica bottaro is the lead editor at healthing.ca, and has been content writing for over a decade, specializing in all things health. her goal as a health journalist is to bring awareness and information to people that they can use as an additional tool toward their own optimal health.

read more about the author

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