Overview As a member of the military, Nurse Practitioners provide comprehensive health care to ill and injured Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and other supported populations in Canada and during operations.

Nurse Practitioners are advanced practice nurses who assess patients, establish diagnoses, order and interpret diagnostic tests, prescribe medications and other treatments, and manage acute and chronic health conditions. They practise autonomously within their legislated scope and collaborate with Medical Officers and other members of the health care team. Nurse Practitioners may work in the following areas:

- Primary Care;
- Urgent Care;
- Inpatient Care,
- Education and Training;
- Policy and Program Management; and
- Clinical Leadership

Work environment Nurse Practitioners work in Canadian Forces Health Services Centres, clinics, field units, ships and other operational health care settings. Their work may include routine and urgent care, health promotion, disease and injury prevention, occupational health, clinical leadership and the coordination of interdisciplinary care. During field exercises and deployments in Canada or abroad, Nurse Practitioners may live and work in the same environment as the CAF members they support. They may provide care with limited resources, contribute to casualty management and evacuation planning, and support the health readiness of personnel.

Regular Force Nurse Practitioners are posted to a base, wing, formation or other CAF location after completing the required training and can expect to relocate during their career. However, if you decide to join the Primary Reserve Force, you will do so through a specific Reserve unit. Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part-time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base.

As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work a minimum of one night per week and some weekends with possibilities of full-time employment.

Entry plans

- Direct Entry Options
- Paid Education Options

If you already have a university degree and license to practice as a Nurse Practitioner in a Canadian province or territory and civilian Nurse Practitioner experience, the CAF may place you directly into a Nurse Practitioner job after evaluation of your experience. You will have to complete some courses to complement your civilian experience. For further information, please contact a Canadian Forces Health Services Recruiter: [email protected] .

Specialist Officer Training Plan (SOTP)

If you have a Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Bachelor of Nursing Science and a current unrestricted license (active status) to practice as a Registered Nurse from a Canadian provincial or territorial regulatory authority/association and a letter of 'good standing' from that authority and are unconditionally accepted into a full-time program in a Master of Nursing – Nurse Practitioner,



Master of Nursing – Advanced Practice or Nurse Practitioner graduate diploma (applicant must already possess a Master’s in Nursing), the CAF will pay successful recruits to complete their program at a Canadian university. The program must be clinical in nature and be completed within two years (the program must be on campus; distance learning programs are not subsidized).

For the duration of your studies, you receive a full time salary including medical and dental care, as well as vacation time with full pay in exchange for working with the CAF for a period of time. If you apply to this program, you must have proof that you have been accepted without condition in an accredited Nurse Practitioner Master of Nursing program, having a focus on primary care or acute care clinical practice, at a Canadian University.

For further information, please contact a Canadian Forces Health Services Recruiter: [email protected]

Training After enrolment, Nurse Practitioners attend Basic Military Officer Qualification (BMOQ) training at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, for 12 weeks. Topics covered include general military knowledge, the principles of leadership, regulations and customs of the Forces, basic weapons handling, and first aid.

Opportunities will also be provided to apply such newly acquired military skills in training exercises involving force protection, field training, navigation and leadership. A rigorous physical fitness program is also a vital part of basic training. BMOQ training is provided in English or French and successful completion is a prerequisite for further training.

Nurse Practitioners must complete the Common Health Services Officer Course (CHSOC), which is an eight-day e-learning course available on the Defence Learning Network (DLN). The CHSOC introduces Nurse Practitioners to Canadian Armed Forces policies and procedures as well as HR management of military members and civilian personnel.

After completing the BMOQ, Nurse Practitioners who have civilian experience are required to complete the Rank Qualification – Nurse Practitioner - Captain Course, a formal military health care provider course to ensure they have the clinical competencies required to deliver occupational and environmental care and treatment. This course is completed at the Canadian Forces Health Services Training Centre in Borden, Ontario.

Nurse Practitioners complete occupation-specific education and a supervised transition-to-practice to prepare them to deliver advanced clinical care in the military environment. The content and length of the transition are tailored to the member's education, focus of practice and previous clinical experience





Nurse Practitioner may be offered the opportunity to develop specialized skills through formal courses and certification, including:

- Aviation Medicine;
- Dive Medicine;
- Submarine Medicine; and
- Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN).

As they progress in their career, Nurse Practitioners who demonstrate the required ability and potential may be offered advanced education and training in areas such as:
- Second Language Training
- Advanced Clinical Practice and Leadership;
- Health Services Management; and
- Administration, Education, Policy and Program Development.

Part time options The role of the Canadian Forces Health Services Reserves is to provide trained personnel to support, augment and sustain Canadian Forces Health Services organizations for CAF operations and training activities, while building and maintaining links between the CAF and the local community. They are employed to provide health care for CAF members. This position is available for part-time employment with the Primary Reserve at certain locations across Canada.

Reserve

Force members usually serve on a part-time or casual full-time basis with a health services unit in their community and may serve while going to school or working at a civilian job. They are paid during their training. They are not posted or required to do a military move. However, they can volunteer to move to another base. They may also volunteer for deployment on a military mission within or outside Canada.

Reserve Force Nurse Practitioners are trained to the same level as their Regular Force counterparts. All members complete Basic Military Officer Qualification (BMOQ) training, which covers topics such as military organization, leadership, dress and deportment, physical fitness, marching, firing a weapon for self-defence or defence of your patients (as per the Geneva Convention), and surviving in a field environment. This training varies in length and is usually available in two-week sessions or on weekends.

Occupational training prepares Nurse Practitioners to apply their clinical expertise within Canadian Forces Health Services and operational environments. This training lasts approximately eight weeks, can be divided into two blocks if required, and takes place at the Canadian Forces Health Services Training Centre in Borden, Ontario.

All Reserve Force members receive pay based on the applicable CAF Reserve rate, a benefits package and, depending on their service, may be eligible to participate in a pension plan.

Reserve Force Nurse Practitioners are prepared to meet the same occupational requirements as their Regular Force counterparts. Applicants must have education, registration and clinical experience that meet the requirements of the Nurse Practitioner occupation. If you are unsure whether your qualifications and experience meet the requirements, contact a Canadian Forces Health Services Recruiter:

[email protected] .

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Nursing Officer

Physiotherapy Officer

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📌 Nurse Practitioner (Toronto)
🏢 Canadian Armed Forces | Forces armées canadiennes
📍 Toronto