Lauren Wylie June 2, 2011 History of Licensed Practical Nurses in British Columbia and Canada According to Merrian-Webster online

dictionary, the word nurse refers to a woman who suckles an infant not her own; a woman who takes care of a young child; one that looks after, fosters, or advises; a person who cares for the sick or infirm: specifically, a licensed healthcare professional who practices independently or is supervised by a physician, surgeon, or dentist and who is skilled in promoting and maintaining health; a worker form of a social insect (as an ant or a bee) that cares for the young, or; a female mammal used to suckle the young of another. A Licensed Practice Nurse is defined as a person who has undergone training and obtained a license (as from a state) conferring authorization to provide routine care for the sick. Canadian provinces refer to a nurse as one who cares for people who are sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled under the direction of registered nurses or physicians. Nursing has been around in Canada since 1639, where it originated in Quebec and consisted of nurses brought in from France to take care of the sick and teach children. The first hospital was the Hotel Dieu and it was staffed by the Sisters of the Order of St. Augustine. The first nursing school in Canada was opened in 1865 at the General and Marine Hospital in St. Catharines, Ontario. This program focused on training nurses hands-on in hospitals; this method was based on Florence Nightingale program. At the beginning of the 1900s, nurses were viewed as an integral part of a healthcare team. As early as 1914, practical nurses were recognized as valuable, especially in the case of home care to patients. By 1931, there were close to 5,000 practical nurses, and by 1947 there were nearly 8000. There are currently over 75,000 licensed practical nurses in Canada. In British Columbia, Practical nursing programs first became available in 1951, when the Practical Nurse Act was passed by provincial legislature. This legislation controlled the education, testing, licensing, and regulation of practical nurses in the province. This act, although passed in 1951, was not enforced or put into play until 1965. At this time, practical nurses became recognized as a self-regulating profession when the Act established the Council of Licensed Practical Nurses, which was the licensing body for practical nurses. In 1986 there was a Discipline Committee appointed to oversee the conduct of Licensed Practical Nurses. In 1991, the Ministry of Health created the Council of Licensed Practical Nurses in British Columbia was created as the regulatory body. Between 1992 and 1994, The Code of Ethics and Standards for Licensed Practical Nurses in British Columbia was developed. The Council of Licensed Practical Nurses in British Columbia was designated under the

Health Professions Act in 1996, and its name was changed to College of Licensed Practical Nurses of British Columbia (CLPNBC). Currently, it is recognized as a professional regulatory organization, and all of its members are regarded as healthcare professionals. Currently, the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of British Columbia requires the practical nursing training to be a one year certificate program. The other types of programs available are a 4 year degree program for Registered Nurses, and a 2 year diploma program for Registered Practical Nurses. However, CLPNBC has been looking to change the current Licensed Practical Nursing program to a 2 year diploma program in the near future.

References: http://www.clpnbc.org/index.php?dbq=8 http://www.ehow.com/about_6496716_history-lpns.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licensed_practical_nurse http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nursing http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/licensed%20practical%20nurse