The first phase of work included meetings with NPs and sector leaders across models of care. Broad engagement gave us an opportunity to share information and invite views through townhalls, NP community meetings, webinars for students as well as meetings with employer and policy leads in HEABC, health authorities and the BC Government.

The Your Voice, Your Future campaign launches! NPs are encouraged to get informed and take part in an NP-wide survey that will help identify information gaps or needs related to pursuing a Main Agreement. We’ll also invite your input on a fair threshold vote to secure a mandate. Through this time, we’re encouraging you to talk with colleagues, invite thought leaders into your circles, and help surface the issues that matter most.

Once the survey closes on Oct. 3, we’ll report back on what we heard. If the results point to gaps, confusion, or a need for more clarity, we’ll take the time to work through questions and issues together before a vote. The goal is to ensure that the work we do is led by you and your needs and experiences.

This is the turning point. NPs across BC will be asked to vote on whether NNPBC should pursue a Main Agreement on their behalf. This is not a vote on the agreement itself. It’s a decision on whether to move forward with building one. The vote will be confidential and secure, with clear communication on how to participate. Date TBD.

If the vote passes, NNPBC will begin the work of building infrastructure needed to pursue a Main Agreement, including dedicated NP leadership and negotiating team, supported by internal staff. This phase ensures that the voices, systems, and protections are in place to engage in formal negotiations with government in a way that’s credible, collaborative, and grounded in good policy.

No two NP roles are the same and this phase is about recognizing that. We’ll engage broadly across the profession to clearly define needs, challenges, and the supports necessary to strengthen the profession across all practice models. Input from patients, employers, and partners will also help shape this phase. By inviting in a wide range of perspectives, we’ll create a bargaining approach that reflects the diversity and strength of NP practice.

From here, peer-identified NP leaders will work together to establish a clear negotiation framework. This includes draft proposals, supporting evidence, and issue prioritization. This is also the time to align with provincial priorities, understand fiscal and system contexts, and ensure the groundwork is in place to negotiate from a position of integrity, expertise, and readiness.

With engagement complete and a negotiating framework in place, we move to the formal table. Negotiations with government begin, backed by a mandate, a team, an NP negotiating committee, and the collective insight of Nurse Practitioners from across BC. This is a historic step: the first time NPs in BC will be positioned to shape a Main Agreement that reflects their value, their complexity, and their role in building a stronger, more sustainable health system.