Canadian Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies Identified: An Opportunity to Build Mental Health and Illness Skills and Knowledge

In 2015, the Canadian Counsel of Registered Nurse Regulators released a report that identified entry-to-practice core competencies for adult, family/all ages, and pediatric nurse practitioners (NPs) across Canada. The report is expected to guide future decisions about NP entry-to-practice examinations and allow for Canadian Counsel of Registered Nurse Regulators member organizations to develop pan-Canadian requirements for licensure. Optimistically, it could set the stage for a national approach to NP education. This is an opportune time to highlight various stakeholders' call for increased mental health education for NPs and identify challenges and promising strategies for reaching that goal.