No One Left Behind: Decades of Growth
Collective Stories of Nurse Practitioners Transforming Healthcare in Canada
by Kim Harkness

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When the nurse practitioner role was first introduced in the 1960s, no one could foresee the revolution in health care delivery it would auger. But decades later, the role is still little understood. In this striking follow-up to Claudia Mariano’s 2015 book No One Left Behind, nurse practitioners from across Canada reflect on the challenges, triumphs, and evolution of the profession through the past decade. Drawing on their experiences—both in the clinic and beyond—Canadian NPs from coast to coast offer insight into the transformative part the role has had to play in shaping Canada’s health care landscape, in clinical practice, advocacy, mentorship, and innovation. From the unique challenges of delivering health care in the remote Canadian North to the rewards of delivering gender affirming care to trans and gender-diverse youth, to the experience of mentoring fellow NPs in discovering rewarding and lucrative careers outside of traditional pathways, No One Left Behind: A Decade of Growth is an original and much-needed entry into literature on the nurse practitioner role, helping us understand and appreciate the tremendous strides they have made over the past decade. “A clear reflection of NP practice in Canada—from our origins, through the responsibility and barriers we navigate today, to the impact we are building ahead. This highly anticipated follow-up to Claudia Mariano’s 2015 book, No One Left Behind, is a must-read for every nurse practitioner in Canada.” — Aliya Hajee, MN, NP, MSCP, NP Circle

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Kim Harkness is a nurse practitioner leader and advocate who is deeply committed to education on and the advancement of the NP role in Canada. She holds baccalaureate degrees from Western University and the University of Toronto, a Master of Nursing with Adult NP certification from U of T, and a Primary Health Care NP certification from Athabasca University. Her first book, My Mommy Is a Nurse Practitioner (2024), published in both English and French, was designed to educate young readers and their caregivers about the NP role. With this book, targeted toward an adult audience, Harkness hopes to further understanding of the complexities of the NP role in Canada, offering readers the opportunity to reflect on the tremendous growth it has had over the past decade and national impact it has had on health care. A member of the College of Nurses of Ontario, the Nurse Practitioner Association of Ontario, the Canadian Nurses Association, and NP Circle, Kim practises in a primary care clinic in the Greater Toronto Area and is an adjunct lecturer at the University of Toronto. She lives in the northern GTA with her husband, two boys, and rescue cat and dog. Interested in getting in touch? You can find her @npstoryteller on Instagram or by her name, Kimberley Harkness, on LinkedIn.

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Contributors

Author

Kim Harkness

Foreword by

Claudia Mariano