With millions of Ontarians struggling to access primary care, NPs represent an effective antidote to the province’s healthcare crisis.
In an increasingly turbulent political environment, addressing the healthcare crisis and connecting communities with primary care must remain top priorities for the provincial government. The Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario (NPAO) — which represents over 5400 NPs in Ontario — is confident that, with the right support from policymakers, Nurse Practitioners (NPs) can close the critical gap in healthcare and deliver the timely, high-quality services that patients deserve. As primary care practitioners, as well as providers of secondary, tertiary, and specialized care, NPs are ideally positioned to connect Ontarians with the compassionate, comprehensive services they deserve.
NPs are healthcare leaders.
Our healthcare system is struggling to cope with overwhelming demand, especially amongst vulnerable and underserved communities. NPs are highly trained healthcare professionals who are here to help. NPs leverage their initial Registered Nurse baccalaureate education and years of clinical experience first, and then pursue further advanced graduate education, collect additional experience, and meet exam requirements. They can work independently and autonomously as primary and specialty care providers as most responsible providers, or as key team members within integrated healthcare groups, serving patients across diverse settings. NPs have the competence to direct interprofessional care teams, provide comprehensive health assessment, diagnose conditions, order tests, prescribe medications, and provide specialist referral, and care for patient needs within a holistic model of care synergizing their medicine and nursing expertise.
NPs have the clinical background, education, training, and expertise to take on leadership roles within healthcare. There must be a shift in focus from only viewing NPs as clinicians to recognizing them as the leaders they are, leveraging their skills to drive system and organizational improvements and positive patient outcomes.
There are also structural changes that need to be made to better support NPs and the patients they serve.
By immediately implementing flexible funding models to include NPs in public health plans, as directed in the latest Canada Health Act interpretation letter, the next provincial government can better empower and enable NPs to get care to communities in need. NPs must be at the table during all these discussions and negotiations. As leaders in healthcare, their voices, perspectives, and expertise carry heavy weight in helping decision-makers shape policies that address gaps in care, improve access, and promote better health outcomes.
By immediately implementing flexible funding models to include NPs in public health plans, as directed in the latest Canada Health Act interpretation letter, the next provincial government can better empower and enable NPs to get care to communities in need.
By involving NPs in policy discussions, decision-makers can develop and implement more effective, evidence-informed solutions that reflect the needs of both patients and providers. NPs provide a unique outlook on the challenges and opportunities within the healthcare system. As experts and professionals, NPs are the most well-positioned to guide the creation of policies, initiatives, and strategies that support their further inclusion within the healthcare system.
Improved integration of NPs across our healthcare system has many proven, positive outcomes.
When NPs are effectively and efficiently integrated across the healthcare system, patients receive quicker care, closer to home, when and where they need it. This increases access, reduces visits to the Emergency Room and hospital readmissions, and decreases overall wait times, alleviating critical pressures on our overburdened healthcare system. At a time when Ontarians and Canadians across the country are already navigating intense political and economic turmoil, the last thing they should have to worry about is access to care. It is imperative that NPs are trained, retained, and integrated in public health settings where they deliver high-quality, timely, and life-saving services.
With millions of Ontarians struggling to access primary care, NPs represent an obvious, evidence-backed solution. NPAO is committed to working with the next provincial government to advance the needs of NPs and connect patients across the province with the timely, high-quality care they deserve. As NPs working for NPs, we strive to deliver exceptional healthcare for all, grounded in the evidence that NPs make critical contributions to our healthcare system and Ontarians’ quality of life.
To learn more about NPAO and the work NPs are doing to improve access to high-quality, timely healthcare in Ontario, check out npao.org.
