Our Mission

The Canadian Association of Hepatology Nurses (CAHN) is a national professional organization that supports and promotes hepatology nurses and health care professionals with an interest in the care of people who are at risk for or living with liver-related conditions.  Our mission is to advance the science and practice of hepatology nursing in Canada through the promotion of clinical excellence and leadership, facilitation of knowledge sharing and networking opportunities, and through advocacy for equitable policies and practices that address the social and structural determinants of health.

Our Values

Caring Environments

We take a person-centred approach, recognizing that health is a human right and that people flourish under safe, inclusive, and caring conditions.

Clinical Excellence

We believe everyone at risk for or living with liver-related conditions should have access to quality clinical care from a specially trained hepatology nurse.

Collaboration

We are committed to sharing knowledge and working together to improve health outcomes at the individual, community, and population level.

Our Approach

Hepatology nursing takes a health equity approach, recognizing that racialized and marginalized groups experience a disproportionate burden of liver-related illness. We also recognize that to adequately prevent and treat liver-related illness, we must address the social and structural determinants of health.

Hepatology nurses practice in a wide range of settings including acute care, community and primary care, research, specialty care, private practice, Corrections and policymaking. Hepatology nurses work at the individual, community, and population level, delivering direct patient care and health-promoting programs, researching new therapeutics and evidence-based approaches to care, and advocating for health-promoting public policy.

The advancement of hepatology nursing requires evidence-based practice, critical thinking, and lifelong learning. Hepatology nurses use research, theory and experiential knowledge from nursing and other disciplines to provide high-quality nursing care.

Hepatology nurses use their clinical expertise to conduct and collaborate on research that focuses on improving quality of care for patients at risk for or living with liver-related conditions.

Our Goals

In line with our Mission, Values and Approach, CAHN has established the following goals to guide our work:

S&C

Develop and maintain Standards & Competencies for Hepatology Nursing to promote clinical excellence.

Education

Promote and provide high-quality educational events and resources for the members.

Networking

Create opportunities for members to network and share knowledge.

Policies

Advocate for policies and practices that address the social and structural determinants of health and contribute to improved liver health within Canada.

Leadership

Support leadership development and research opportunities for members.

CAHN Events

CAHNference 2024

This November marks CAHN’s 25th Anniversary! To celebrate, we would like to invite all members to join us for a special Member Appreciation Dinner at the Delta Hotel downtown Calgary on Friday, November 1. This dinner will precede CAHNference 2024 which is planned for the full day, November 2. All members are welcome to attend the dinner regardless of attendance to CAHNference. 

We plan to hold a special presentation celebrating CAHN and the wonderful work our volunteers have accomplished over the quarter century, and we will hold the Awards and Recognition Ceremony. It’s sure to be a very memorable, heart-warming event. 

We are excited to report CAHN is in discussion with potential partners to secure a harmoniously compatible partner event during the day on Friday, November 01.

*CAHN Member CAHNference Discount Code*

Log into your CAHN Member Portal to access your discount code.

Meet the team

CAHN is run by an amazing team of dedicated volunteers with the support of Administrative Consultants. Volunteering for CAHN is a fun and rewarding way to make new connections and hone leadership skills in the field of hepatology nursing.

CAHN's 2023 Award Recipients

Members love celebrating the successes of their fellow nurses and so CAHN’s recognition ceremony is a meaningful annual highlight. To make this happen, nominate a nurse you know who deserves recognition for the great work they are doing. Click below to view CAHN’s 2023 award recipients.

Elizabeth Lee

Distinguished Service

Tamara Barnett

Innovation and Inspiration Award

Sonja Hartz

Innovation and Inspiration Award

Fraser Jordan

Rising Star Award

competencies

The competency documents describe core competencies specific to particular liver diseases/conditions. CAHN offers educational resources to help members achieve core competencies.