CANN: CANN Standards of Practice

CANN Standards of Practice were first approved by the Board of Directors in 1983.

The development of these standards was critical to CANN’s recognition by CNA as

a specialty group. The CANN Standards were subsequently revised in 1988. The

current revisions of 2008 aim to address the scope of practice as defined by CNA,

as well as reflect the variety of practice areas and settings of neuroscience nurses in

this century and in this environment of health care reform. The revised standards

also reflect changes in neuroscience nursing practice and emphasize caring for

clients across the lifespan, in different health states and across the care continuum,

rather than on single episodes of illness requiring hospitalization. The intent of the

new scope of practice statement and revised standards is to describe neuroscience

nursing practice broadly enough to include all sub-specialty areas, but specific

enough to be remain useful.

Acknowledgements

The CANN standards task force of the Canadian Association of Neuroscience

Nurses gratefully acknowledges the standards work of the previous task forces of

the Specialization Committee of the Canadian Association of Neuroscience Nurses

in 1980, 1981, 1983, and 1988.

The Canadian Association of Neuroscience Nurses (CANN) Professional Practice

Task Force developed this document in late 2007.

Task Force Members included:

Debbie Holtom, RN, BNSc, MEd, ACNP, CNN(C), Task Force Chairperson

Nancy Thornton, RN, MScN, CNN(C)

Kathy Doerksen, RN, MN, CNN(C)

Heather Stoyles, RN, CNN(C), CNCC(C)

Linda Kelloway, RN, MN, CNN(C)

Previous Specialization Committee Chairpersons (for standards development and

revisions)

1980 Eileen Edmonds

1981 Pauline Weldon

1983 Geraldine Fitzgerald

1988 Ann Wyness

Specialization Committee name was changed to: Professional Practice in

1998–1999.