We are excited to share that The Nurse-Family Partnership® (NFP) program has officially launched in the province of Nova Scotia (NS). An article written by Nova Scotia Health provides a wonderful overview of the collaborative work accomplished by NFP leaders in Ontario and Nova Scotia to facilitate the NFP training of the first cohort of Public Health Nurses (PHNs). This team of Early Years PHNs is set to deliver the program in the Eastern Zone of NS.
Photo: NFP trainers Victoria Iaboni and Lindsay Croswell
“The energy, excitement and experience that the group of PHNs brought to the first cohort of training was incredible,” shared Lindsay Croswell (Ontario NFP Nursing Practice Lead and member of the PHN PREP leadership group). Lindsay travelled to Antigonish (home of St. Francis Xavier University) to support the first cohort of NFP education in January 17 –23, 2024. We are excited to continue working together and learning from our new colleagues in NS, as they navigate delivering the program in rural areas of Cape Breton, exploring novel ways to support families in their communities while adhering to program fidelity.
NFP has been a part of the suite of home visiting services offered by some Public Health Units in Ontario since 2008, beginning with Hamilton Public Health Services. Members of the PHN PREP leadership team have been a part of the implementation and evaluation of NFP in Canada, which has included a process evaluation in BC and the CaNE pilot project to evaluate the NFP nursing education model here in Ontario. NFP is now able to expand here in Ontario and to additional provinces as approved by the Global NFP community. As of 2024, the following ten Ontario Public Health Units will be offering the NFP program: Middlesex-London Health Unit (provincial license holder for NFP), Hamilton Public Health Services, Toronto Public Health, York Region Public Health, Niagara Region Public Health, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, KFL&A Public Health, Peterborough Public Health, HKPR District Health Unit and Southwestern Public Health.