RNAO Nurse Practitioner Poster Campaign

During Nursing Week, RNAO in collaboration with NPAO, are again promoting the role of nurse practitioners. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have additional education and the authority to diagnose, treat, and prescribe certain medications and diagnostic tests for their patients. Changes to legislation announced late last year will now expand their scope of practice to include setting and casting bone fractures.

In the 12 years that the role has been legally recognized in Ontario, NPs have expanded their reach and work in almost every sector of the health-care system from hospitals and community clinics to longer-term care homes and family health teams. More than 1,600 NPs work throughout the province. In addition to educating people about the role in general, the campaign also focuses on town and cities where patients not have access to a primary care provider, says Doris Grinspun, executive director of RNAO. “The McGuinty government has committed to opening up 25 NP-led clinics in the province, in addition to the one that has been operating in Sudbury since August of 2007. Eleven NP-led clinics are expected to begin seeing patients this year. A request for proposals for the remaining 14 was issued on May 10.

Are you having trouble finding a physician or other health-care provider? The government has pledged to increase access to primary care services. Write to your MPP and tell him/her that you want an NP-led clinic in your town or city.