Letter to the Editor, The Chronicle Herald

Re:

Nurse practitioner plans worry doctors

John McPhee (jmcphee@herald.ca) 

https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/local/doctors-worried-about-increased-nurse-practitioner-powers-including-prescription-writing-in-nova-scotia-257179/

November 7, 2018

Dear John McPhee and the editor,

I read your article. Deb Hart is correct. 

I am providing you with the national association definition of nurse practitioner.

In Canada, Nurse Practitioners (NPs) 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). 

Approved by the Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada Board of Directors October 26, 2018 

All health care professionals in Canada collaborate for patient care both inter and intra professionally.

Nurse practitioner practice has evolved and scope of practice has expanded.

It was an arrangement to have the requirement for a physician collaborator when the nurse practitioner initiative began in 2000. The medical monopoly has been altered in a changing health care system. Nurse practitioners independently and autonomously provide excellent patient care and we have the research to prove it. Nurses and physicians adhere to an ethical code as professionals and embedded within our professional responsibility is the necessity to collaborate. The team providing care to a patient is often comprised of their primary care provider whether that be a MD or NP, the pharmacist, RNs or LPNs, continuing care assistants, physiotherapist, chiropractors, respiratory therapist, paramedics etc. 

Citizens need all professionals working together respectfully for excellence in health care across the age continuum.