Nurse practitioner role in Canada

ruralgirl08 · Feb 3, 2009

Hi,

I am not that familiar with NPs in the south, but in Ontario, NPs are a fairly new resource here. Offical NPs in Ontario are RNs registered in the extended class, their designation: RN (EC). When NP were first used in Ontario, it was a 12 month post grad certificate on top of your BScN. Now it is becoming a Masters level MN/NP. In Ontario, we are supposed to be training Nurse Anethetists, but I don't think a program is developed yet. The link below is a College of nurses document on NPs their designation and role in Ontario:

Maybe that can help answer some questions.

http://www.cno.org/docs/prac/41038_StrdRnec.pdf

Fiona59 · Feb 3, 2009

The NPs I've worked with have all been very experienced nurses before they went on. Many worked in the Northern outposts.

I've worked with an NP in a clinic who had her own patients, did her own exams, made housecalls, and wrote scripts. I don't recall if they could write for narcotics.

I've seen NPs in LTC and some units of the hospital but in all honesty, I have no idea of what there scope was.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Feb 3, 2009

Each province will have its own rules and responsibilities for NPs. I know several specialist RN/NPs in Alberta, three in neonatal critical care and one in pediatric acute care, as well as one in Manitoba who is a pediatric critical care RN/AP. They all prescribe meds, narcs included. They do procedures, including intubations (except for the peds acute care NP), order tests and treatments and have fairly borad scopes of practice. There's also an NP whose specialty is community care who has been profiled in the Canadian Nurse a few months ago. He does pretty much everything but surgery.

CharmedJ7 · Feb 4, 2009

you might also find this site useful: http://www.npcanada.ca/portal/

i stole this from that site:

"

what can a nurse practitioner do? in most provinces in canada, legislated nurse practitioners are able to diagnose and manage many disorders and chronic diseases, prescribe medications for you, order diagnostics, and refer you to specialists if needed. they are able to do complete physicals, and medicals required for most third party companies, and care for you during your pregnancy and after you deliver. they see many clients with chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, osteoarthritis, and mental health concerns. they also see patients when they are acutely ill such as in emergency departments or in critical care units. in primary care settings, nurse practitioners are able to see you the same day if you have an earache, sore throat, or other condition that is keeping your from work or school. some nurse practitioners are also able to perform minor surgical procedures. please call your

provincial nursing regulatory body or your regional health authority to locate a nurse practitioner in your area."

i'm also trying to gather information about this topic so i'll be watching any responses with interest. it does seem a bit different than in the states, stricter perhaps? at least in alberta you need 4500 hours as a nurse before you can register with carna (college and association of registered nurses of alberta) to be an np, so about 3 years.

windyweather1 · Feb 5, 2009

I am presently studying in quebec. Here Nurse Practitioners are very new... Very few are recognized as of yet. NP nephrology, NP cardiology, NP neonatalogy, NP primary care. I know they are working on integrating more but everything takes time! I do think that the job description is very similar to the USA. I know in neonatalogy the NP will go on rounds with the doctors and prescribe meds and treatment.. primary care NP's have advanced assessmentn skills.. can do certain techniques that MDs usually do. So yeah I do think it is the same... just make sure your specialty is recognized in the province you want to move to before you go!