Dominant discourses and ideologies that have shaped the education of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in Canada

Abstract

Nurses, the largest health care provider group in Canada, are comprised of three regulated categories: Registered Nurses (RNs); Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs, referred to as Registered Practical Nurses in Ontario); and Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs). RPNs are educated, regulated, and employed in the four western provinces and although an important group to consider are not the focus of this paper. The purpose of this paper is to lay the groundwork for consideration of undergraduate intraprofessional RN-LPN education. Health care reforms in Canada, influenced by the economic, social, and political forces of each successive generation, have historically had a profound impact on nursing education. A central feature of the most recent health care reform initiatives is interprofessional education (IPE). IPE assumes that bringing students from different health professions together will teach them the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to be effective collaborative practitioners. Amazingly, the tremendous possibilities that undergraduate intraprofessional RN-LPN education could offer nursing and the health care system have been systematically overlooked. As a way of understanding this surprising circumstance, I will use the context of health care reforms to critically examine how dominant discourses and ideologies embedded within economic, social and political forces have influenced the evolution of undergraduate RN and LPN education in Canada. I will state my beliefs and what I envision about the potential that undergraduate intraprofessional RN-LPN education can provide nursing and the health care system. I invite readers to reflect on and discuss the possibilities if opportunities for this form of nursing education were available.