Nurse practitioners: A solution to health care concerns
To the editor:
Nurse practitioners (NPs) have been providing excellent advanced patient care for about a half century, yet the role is still touted in some circles as new, and not well understood.
As you read, know there are thousands of NPs providing care across Canada; about 190 of them are licenced 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’ practise 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 (NPs) are licensed by jurisdictional nursing regulators. NPs are graduate-prepared health-care providers who practise 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. NPs are dedicated professionals who provide highquality, cost-effective, personalized health care to diverse populations in rural and urban settings.
As the demand for health-care 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 practise 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, continuing through Nov. 17.
Deborah Hart MN NP, Co-Chair NPANS