Nurse Practioners Moving Forward in Health Care

What is a nurse practitioner?

A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse with advanced university education who provides personalized, high quality health care to patients. Ontario nurse practitioners provide a full range of healthcare services to individuals, families, and communities in a variety of settings including hospitals and community-based clinics. We work in partnership with physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals such as social workers, midwives, mental health professionals, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and pharmacists to keep people, their families, and the community well.

What does a nurse practitioner do?

NPs provide care to patients of all ages with a focus on preventing disease and promoting good health.  NPs are part of the health care team.  NPs play an important role in helping people maintain a healthy, active lifestyle, and to understand and treat illness.  Work is also done within the community to promote good health and prevent disease.  Nurse practitioners have the ability to:

• Diagnose and treat illness and/or injuries
• Perform health physicals
• Order and interpret diagnostic tests
• Write prescriptions
• Provide counseling and education
• Provide supportive care through illness
• Provide treatments and/or procedures
• Collaborate with family physicians, specialists, and other health professionals with referrals.

Are there different types of nurse practitioners?

All Nurse Practitioners in Ontario are educated and qualified to a high level to ensure safe patient management. There are three classifications:  NP- Adult, NP- Paediatrics, and NP-Primary Health Care through the regulating body, the College of Nurses. Working as part of a team of professionals, adult and paediatric nurse practitioners provide care for patients in their specific age groups by managing complex conditions, promoting return to health, and since they most commonly work in hospitals, facilitating transition from hospital to home. Primary health care nurse practitioners also work with teams of professionals managing most common illnesses as well as providing preventative care and education for healthy living. The NP in primary health care commonly works in community settings such as Family Health Team and Community Health Centers.

NPAO Vision

Transforming health care through Nurse Practitioner innovations.

NPAO Mission

The Nurse Practitioners' Association of Ontario is the professional voice for Nurse Practitioners in Ontario.  Our mission is to achieve full integration of Nurse Practitioners to ensure accessible high quality health care for Ontarians.

NPAO Values

1. Excellence in health care for patients, families and communities.
2. Innovations in health care that improve systems for patients and providers.
3. Honest, transparent, respectful partnerships.
4. Opportunities to engage membership in their professional future.
5. Research to support change.
6. Collaborative and autonomous Nurse Practitioner practice fostering interprofessional care.

NPAO Goals

1. Influences legislation, regulation and policy that enhance the capacity of Nurse Practitioners to contribute to healthcare.
2. Provides leadership, information and expertise to our members regarding professional matters.
3. Supports the professional development of Nurse Practitioners.
4. Promotes awareness of Nurse Practitioners roles in the health care system and with the public to ensure the role is understood, respected and optimized.
5. Acts as a resource for health care organizations and stakeholders on Nurse Practitioners related issues.
6. Speaks out, in partnership with the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, on emerging issues that affect the health of individuals, families and communities.

Nurse Practitioners Moving Forward in Health Care

Nurse practitioners continue to be integrated more fully into Ontario’s health team.  In August of 2007 the first Nurse Practitioner led clinic opened in Sudbury. The clinic which consists of four NPs, a team of nurses, social worker and dietician, provides health care for almost 2000 Ontarians who otherwise would have no primary health care provider. “Nurse practitioners play a vital role in our health care system,” said David Caplan, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. “By increasing the number of Nurse Practitioner-led clinics we are helping to improve access to care for local-area residents across the province.” Three additional clinics will be approved by April 2009 and another 22 clinics are promised by 2012.

NPAO

NPAO works actively with government and nursing bodies to improve health care for the people of Ontario through the advancement of the role of the nurse practitioner and seeks to fully integrate NPs into the Ontario healthcare system.