Nurse practitioners are vital in Ontario

Re: “Quebec needs more clinics staffed by nurse practitioners” (Opinion, June 8) We thank Pascale Déry for recognizing the skills and value of nurse practitioners in Ontario’s health system.

This is the same advice we gave the Ministry of Health more than 10 years ago, and today, more than 50,000 people in Ontario are getting their primary-care needs taken care of at 25 nurse practitioner-led clinics operating across the province.

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with advanced education and experience. These nurses diagnose and treat common illness and injuries, order diagnostic tests and X-rays, and write prescriptions. Nurse practitioners in these clinics work alongside registered nurses, pharmacists and social workers to provide primary-care services, including a focus on health promotion and disease prevention.

Not only do these clinics provide faster access to care at a lower cost to the system, they are a true embodiment of patient-centred care.

People in Quebec would benefit from having nurse practitioners running their own clinics. Doris Grinspun, Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, Toronto