Book excerpt: Public Policy and Canadian Nursing: Lessons from the Field is the first text to explore the structure, governance, financing, and outcomes of Canadian health systems through a nursing lens. Drawing from his years of experience as a nursing leader in Canada, Michael J. Villeneuve looks to the impending system challenges for which policy interventions by nurses would make a valuable difference to Canadians. Intended to bolster the policy leadership competency of nurses, this volume is divided into three modules that guide nurses from the basics of Canadian governance to the history and evolution of health care in Canada and the tools and strategies needed to tackle public policy work. The author introduces readers to essential topics in health policy, including system financing and costs, Canadian population health status, and performance outcomes. Citing examples of nursing action and interventions throughout, this groundbreaking text offers practical tools and strategies to support Canadian nurses taking on policy development and highlights the vital role of the nursing profession in health system transformation. Reader-friendly and highly accessible, it features brief profiles of influential public policy leaders in nursing and other disciplines, discussion questions appropriate for undergraduate and graduate nursing students, and additional policy resources.