Nurse practitioners could provide solution
Nurse practitioners (NPs) have been providing excellent advanced patient care for about a half a century, yet the role is still touted in some circles as new, and is not well understood.
As you read, know there are thousands of NPs providing care across Canada, about 190 of them are licensed right here in Nova Scotia. With an aging population and decreasing numbers of physicians entering primary and specialty care, nurse practitioners have evolved over this half a century as a natural solution to rising health care concerns. Nurse practitioners’ practice in many towns, cities, countries and in many health-care settings. Their roles include a multitude of specialties and certifications.
This week, nurse practitioners celebrate their profession and their commitment to help bring health and wellness to our communities, our patients and our health-care systems in order to strengthen health care. Does your health-care provider examine, diagnose, prescribe, treat, counsel and educate – all in a way that is caring and dependable for you and your family? NPs do all this and more.
In Canada, Nurse Practitioners are licensed by jurisdictional nursing regulators. NPs are graduate prepared health-care providers who practice autonomously and independently. NPs provide direct care to patients to diagnose and manage disease/illness, prescribe medications, order/ interpret laboratory/ diagnostic tests, and initiate referrals to specialists. (Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada, 2018). NPs are dedicated professionals who provide high-quality, cost-effective, personalized health care to diverse populations in rural and urban settings.
As the demand for healthcare services increases, nurse practitioners are a solution to health-care delivery. Nurse practitioners can specialize in primary, family, adult, pediatric, neonatal, cardiology, oncology, nephrology, hepatology, women’s health, gerontology, psychiatric/mental health and many other specialties. The majority continue to practice in primary care.
Along with the demands of an aging population and a renewed interest in health and wellness and preventative health, Nova Scotians and Canadians are recognizing that they need healthcare providers who can meet their needs. Rooted in primary and specialty care along with a holistic approach, nurse practitioners are a solution to the health-care shortage facing us today. Happy Nurse Practitioner week, to all who have chosen this honorable profession.
Celebrate National Nurse Practitioners Week Nov. 11-17 with us. Deborah Hart, MN, NP Co-Chair
NPANS (Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Nova Scotia)