A new professional association for nurses in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut will be created early next year, an existing nursing body says.
The College and Association of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut – better known as CANNN – currently exists as both a regulator of nursing in the North and an advocacy body.
CANNN said last month it was planning to separate those two activities.
Now, the organization says CANNN will keep the regulatory work while a new professional association, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Association of Nurses or NTNAN, wll be formed in early 2026 to “advocate for the voices of nurses.”
“NTNAN will lead professional advocacy, leadership development, mentorship, and connection among nurses across the Northwest Territories and Nunavut,” CANNN states on its website.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
“Previously, CANNN held a dual mandate – both regulating and advocating for the profession. This structure served the North well, but to better serve both public protection and professional advancement, the two functions are now being separated.
“Unlike other jurisdictions where separation was mandated, this shift was initiated voluntarily by CANNN, responding to feedback from nurses and aligned with best practices across Canada.”
This change is happening to a backdrop of another potential shift in the way nurses are represented in the NWT.
More: Some healthcare workers publicly back nurses’ bargaining bill
Regular MLA Shauna Morgan is attempting to pass legislation that would allow nurses to create their own bargaining unit rather than remain part of a larger bargaining group at the Union of Northern Workers.
The union opposes Morgan’s bill. CANNN, on the other hand, supports it.
