Celebrating our Nurse Practitioners at Access Alliance
November 14, 2024
By Marco Campana, Knowledge Mobilization and Social Action Coordinator, Access Alliance
Nurse Practitioners have been part of Access Alliance clinics for over 20 years. This week we join healthcare providers across the country to celebrate Nurse Practitioners during National Nurse Practitioner Week.
Nurse Practitioners play an important role in the healthcare team that helps you take care of you at Access Alliance. When you come to one of our clinics, you might see your Nurse Practitioner or Doctor.
Our Nurse Practitioners work in all of three of our Family Practice Clinics, as well as at our Non-Insured Walk-in Clinic and Hotel Clinic for refugees. Our Nurse Practitioners work closely with our Primary Care Team to provide care, illness and disease prevention and health education services to vulnerable immigrants and refugees of all ages who live in the City of Toronto.
They can also be found participating in our community programs. For example, Nurse Practitioners join newcomer high school youth programs to answer any health-related questions and provide advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
What does a Nurse Practitioner do?
You might wonder what the difference is between Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs), Registered Nurses (RNs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and other healthcare staff in our primary care clinics. We have RPNs, RNs, and NPs at Access Alliance. Registered Practical Nurses are nurses who have a 2.5 year college diploma in Practical Nursing. Nurse Practitioners must first become Registered Nurses (a four-year Bachelor’s degree in nursing) and then complete additional graduate-level education, such as a Master’s degree in Family Health Care.
Nurse Practitioners are regulated by the College of Nurses of Ontario. They must meet rigorous requirements to stay registered.
Nurse Practitioners can order and interpret diagnostic tests, make diagnoses, prescribe medicines and perform specific procedures. Like your Family Doctor, Nurse Practitioners can make referrals to other health care services and specialists, when needed.
The range of services and medical interventions Nurse Practitioners can provide is vast. In fact, there is quite a lot of overlap in the scope of practice of NPs and Family Doctors. Our NPs and doctors work closely together and will often consult with each other on complex health issues. In Ontario Nurse Practitioners:
- Independently autonomously care for patients
- Comprehensive advanced health assessment and diagnosis
- Order & interpret diagnostic tests
- Prescribe medication
- Prescribe controlled drugs
- Prescribe medical marijuana
- Prescribe medical supplies/devices
- Refer patients to other health professionals
- Help with Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)
- Biopsy, mole removal, cast, suture
- Complete disability forms
- Complete driver’s health exams
- Admit/discharge patients from hospitals
- Admit people into long-term care facilities
How many Nurse Practitioners are there in Canada? Almost half are in Ontario.
What is their impact?
Nurse Practitioners are licensed in the province where they work and provide care.
According to the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario, NPs improve public access to high quality health care, help save costs to our health care system, and play a key role in:
- Improved healthcare access
- Effective patient outcomes
- Decreased ER visits
- Reduced hospital re-admissions
- High client satisfaction
- Improved collaboration with other health care practitioners
- Reduced wait times
- Alleviating pressures on the health care system
Supporting Nurse Practitioners
The reality is that we need more Nurse Practitioners our health care system. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how much support Ontario’s health care system needs to provide quality care to those in need.
Nurse Practitioners fill gaps in Ontario’s health care system, especially in primary care settings. They provide comprehensive and team-based services across the province. Nurse Practitioners are trained, ready and capable to tackle the gaps in Ontario’s health care network.
Nurse Practitioners present an opportunity for Governments to close the many gaps in our healthcare system.
Find out more about how you can support Nurse Practitioners from the Nurse Practitioners Association of Ontario and learn more about NPAO position statements.
