Quality through health policy: the Canadian example

In Canada, as elsewhere, healthcare policymakers are being asked to make some tough tradeoffs between quality and cost. It is crucial that national nurses' associations take part in these discussions to ensure that nurses' and consumers' interests are well protected. The Canadian Nurses' Association has helped mould national health policy. In the process it has had all the advantages of influence and all the risks of being co-opted by the system itself. Below, an insight into the knowledge gained.