Nurse practitioners
July 25, 2024 — Nurse practitioners (NPs) are advanced practice nurses who integrate clinical skills associated with nursing and medicine in order to assess, diagnose and manage patients in primary health care settings and acute care populations, as well as ongoing care for populations with chronic illness.Reference1
Use the sections below to learn about the supply, education, employment and distribution of nurses across the country.
Key findings
In 2023,
- 7,841 NPs were employed in direct patient care in Canada.Footnotei This number increased by 728 between 2022 and 2023 (an annual growth rate of 10%).
- In the provinces/territories where place of work data was available,Footnoteii
- More NPs were employed in direct care roles across all sectors of care. The highest increase was seen in other sectors, such as private nursing agencies and self-employment (13% increase).
- The majority of NPs were employed in direct care roles in community health agencies (34%) or in hospitals (34%).
- The overall supply (8,999) of NPs licensed to practise in Canada grew at a rate of 10% in 2023, slightly slower than the rate in 2022 (11%). This represents the largest percentage increase compared with other regulated nursing types.
- Internationally educated NPs made up 4% of the net increase in NP supply (793) in 2023. The majority (95%) of NPs were educated in Canada.
Featured material
Quick Stats
This interactive tool is ideal for workforce planners, health service managers and analysts who want to create customized visualizations.
Explore and compare the supply, workforce, inflow/outflow and provincial and territorial trends of Canada’s nurse practitioners.
Data tables
These tables are meant for analysts, researchers and those who want to explore and analyze the raw data.
Access 10 years of supply, workforce, employment, education and demographic trends for Canada’s nurse practitioners.
Methodology notes
These notes are meant for all data users.
They summarize the sources, definitions, strengths and limitations of the data available.
Reports
The state of the health workforce in Canada, 2023
ºìÁì½í¹Ï±¨has compiled the most recent data (up to 2023) on selected health professionals to illustrate the current state of the health workforce, with a special focus on primary care.
The state of the health workforce in Canada, 2022
This report provides an overview of 4 key areas: health workforce supply and distribution, internationally educated health professionals, workplace measures and specific population needs.
Hospital staffing and hospital harm trends throughout the pandemic
This report presents a high-level look at available pan-Canadian data on hospital staffing — including sick time, overtime and agency use — and potential impacts on patient harm to explore trends observed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ºìÁì½í¹Ï±¨ workforce in Canada: In focus
Learn about the impacts of COVID-19 on licensed practical nurses and how these professionals helped shape Canada’s response to the pandemic.
Nurse practitioner scopes of practice, 2020
Explore information on similarities and variations in scopes of practice for nurse practitioners in Canada.
Other regulated nursing professionals
Databases and data sources
ºìÁì½í¹Ï±¨ Workforce Database
ºìÁì½í¹Ï±¨collects record-level, standardized, comparative data on the supply, demographics, geographic and distribution characteristics, and education and employment details of NPs in Canada. To find out more about CIHI’s NP data, visit the ºìÁì½í¹Ï±¨ Workforce Database metadata page.
Reference
1.
International Council of Nurses. . 2020.
Footnotes
i.
Excludes Manitoba, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, as area of responsibility data for NPs was not submitted to CIHI.
ii.
Excludes Nova Scotia, Quebec, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, as place of work data for NPs was not submitted to CIHI.
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