Introduction

January 24, 1978 saw the birth of the Canadian Orthopaedic Nurses Association (CONA), an organization of nurses and allied health professionals who perceived orthopaedic nursing as a distinct specialty requiring advanced knowledge and clinical skills. Within months, the fledgling association held its first national conference and in September 1979 published the first edition of the CONA Journal. By 1986, the membership base of CONA extended nationwide.

In 1984 the membership requested that CONA develop national standards of practice and a process by which nurses could be certified as knowledgeable and competent practitioners in their chosen specialty. The development of standards required strong committed leadership, with the involvement of every chapter. Major input occurred at Annual General Meetings where members from across the country could share perspectives and discuss issues face-to face. At the Annual General Meeting in 1989, the membership approved the "Standards for Orthopaedic Nursing Practice". Orthopaedic nurses across the country then used this document in the development of standards particular to their environment.

The standards served the membership well. However, the costs and requirements of the associated certification process proved to be prohibitive. As an active member of The Associate & Affiliate Members of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) since its inception, CONA has always vigorously promoted the goals of specialty nurses within the CNA. One of those goals has been the removal of the barriers to the development of specialty nursing certification.

At the 1998 Annual General Meeting of CONA, the membership approved a motion to review the Standards of Practice and to work toward the development of a certification process. Simultaneously the Canadian Nurses Association developed "The Proposed National Framework for the Development of Standards for the Practice of Nursing" and received grants allowing them to commit sufficient financial resources to build specialty certification programs. CONA applied to the CNA for assistance and the collaborative process began.

A Certification Program promotes high national standards of practice, contributes to the quality of orthopaedic nursing care for the citizens of Canada and provides an opportunity for practitioners to confirm their competence in orthopaedic nursing. The program identifies, through a recognized credential, those nurses meeting the national standards of orthopaedic nursing.

Orthopaedic Nursing Standards exist to define the performance behaviours of a nurse in a specialty area of care and to provide a means to measure performance. These standards assume competency in general nursing practice, provide a measure of competency in orthopaedic nursing practice, and allow for the recognition of expertise in this specialty practice. They serve to promote, guide, and direct orthopaedic nursing practice and to guide the education of practitioners entering orthopaedic nursing. They define the expectations of orthopaedic nursing practice for the public and other healthcare professionals.