About NPAO
Who is NPAO?
The Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario (NPAO) was founded in 1973 by a group of Nurse Practitioner (NP) graduates from the two newly established NP education programs in Ontario at that time: McMaster University and the University of Toronto. NPAO was founded to represent nurse practitioners primarily functioning in primary care in Ontario.
This group of pioneers worked hard at raising the visibility of the role of the NP by promoting the role through media interviews. They also lobbied elected officials and the leaders of other disciplines to create an awareness of the real contribution that nursing could make in the health care system. NPs even influenced nursing leaders who were still unfamiliar with the potential for this role.
In 1985 NPAO became an expert group of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario. In 1998 it changed its mandate to include NPs in all levels of health care: primary, secondary and tertiary care.
NPAO is served by a voluntary Board elected by the membership. NPAO sponsors an annual conference, maintains the web site, publishes a regular e-newsletter, facilitates local continuing education programs and offers five awards/bursaries to members.
Application information on how to join NPAO is available online through RNAO or by calling NPAO at 416-593-9779. If you are joining in the middle of the year it is best to call RNAO directly and ask to speak with a staff member in the Membership Department.
