Best Practice Guidelines

RNAO has more than 50 BPGs covering nine categories: children and youth; clinical; equity, diversity and inclusion; foundational; health system; healthy work environment; mental health and substance use; older adults; and population health.

The BPGs are freely available and organized alphabetically below.

October 2018

The purpose of this best practice guideline (BPG) is to present evidence-based recommendations for nurses and the interprofessional team across all care settings to enhance the quality of their practices to support the reduced incidence of perinatal depression through the implementation of five components of care: routine screening, assessment, prevention, coordinated interventions, and evaluation.

July 2018

The purpose of this best practice guideline (BPG) is to enhance the capacity of nurses, the interprofessional team, peers, policy-makers, and employers to meet the needs of breastfeeding persons, their healthy term newborns, infants, and young children, and their partners, family, and support network.

December 2010

The purpose of this best practice guideline (BPG) is to assist nurses working with youth in a variety of practice settings, i.e. schools, public health units, community health centres, adolescent clinics, hospitals, and in family practice. Recommendations are inclusive of adolescent development across diverse contexts (e.g. cultural, socioeconomic, structural, political.)

September 2012

The aim of this best practice guideline (BPG) is to provide evidence-based recommendations for Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses and other health-care providers to facilitate client-centred learning that promotes and enables clients to take action for their health. 

June 2017

The purpose of this best practice guideline (BPG) is to provide best practices for tobacco interventions for nurses and other health-care providers across all care settings, with evidence-based recommendations related to assessment and interventions for adults who use tobacco.

September 2017

This best practice guideline (BPG) focuses on the prevention of falls and fall injuries in all adults at risk for falls – including those living in the community – who are receiving care from nurses or other health-care providers. 

May 2014

The purpose of this best practice guideline (BPG) is to provide nurses across all practice settings with evidence-based practice, education, system, organization and policy recommendations for the primary prevention of obesity in infants, preschool, and elementary-school-aged children.

June 2021

The purpose of this best practice guideline (BPG) is to provide nurses and other members of the interprofessional team with evidence-based recommendations on foundational, inclusive care practices for 2SLGBTQI+ people. 

June 2022

The purpose of this best practice guideline (BPG) is to provide nurses and the circle of care with evidence-based recommendations on culturally safe and meaningful ways to support smoking reduction and cessation with Indigenous Peoples of reproductive age, their support networks and communities to improve health and wellness.

September 2010

The purpose of this best practice guideline (BPG) is to provide evidence-based recommendations for registered nurses and registered practical nurses in self-management support. These recommendations identify strategies and interventions that enhance an individual’s ability to manage their chronic health condition.