Nurse practitioners call on province for change to their profession

Nurse practitioners have been a part of the healthcare system in Ontario for several decades, yet they say they still face barriers in their ability to provide complete care to their patients.

A nurse practitioner has more advanced education than a registered nurse and provides healthcare services not unlike a doctor.

CEO of the Nurse Practitioners' Association of Ontario, Dawn Tymianski, says the Ministry of Health needs to make changes to the nursing act and other legislation to get these barriers lifted.

"When it comes to the patient the barrier still remains and that creates challenges for us when we're providing care," she said.

"For example a nurse practitioner can order methadone, but can not order a hearing aid, can't order orthotics, things that actually would make an impact to patients at the level when a nurse practitioner can write a prescription for, yet can't be able to order a hearing aid for a patient."

Tymianski also adds that insurance companies also need to change some of their outdated policies.

There are also challenge of access to care or health equity in northern Ontario.

Tymianski says nurse practitioners and nurse practitioner-led clinics  could easily fix this, but that's up to the Ministry and the Local Health Integration Networks.

Tymianski is in Sudbury on Thursday to hear concerns and issues from local nurse practitioners.

Hear the full interview here: