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Nurse practitioners gather in London
Nurse practitioners from across the province are gathering in London this week to embrace new horizons in their practice at the annual Nurse Practitioners' Association of Ontario (NPAO) conference. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with advanced education and decision-making skills to diagnose and treat common illnesses and injuries, prescribe medications, and order lab tests, X-rays and other diagnostic tests. They are skilled health-care providers who work in their own clinics as well as a variety of other health-care settings. Research has demonstrated that nurse practitioners provide safe, effective, quality care to their patients. "NPs are leading new and innovative approaches that address the key challenges facing our health-care system," said Pamela Pogue, NPAO President. "They are reducing wait times in emergency departments, increasing access to primary health care in NP-led clinics and family health teams, reducing transfers of elderly residents from long-term care homes to hospitals, reducing length of stay and ensuring patients are ready for discharge from hospital and helping patients and families navigate through the health-care system." In addition, nurse practitioners are helping solve issues around system integration and effectiveness, she said, adding "The conference will give us a chance to share our success stories with the Minister of Health." The conference runs from Nov. 6-8, and Friday (Nov. 7) will see more than 400 nurse practitioners and advance practice nurses converge at the London Convention Centre along with Ontario's Minister of Health and Long Term Care David Caplan. "By bringing their knowledge and leadership to health-care teams, nurse practitioners are making sure people get the care they need, and supporting them in all health-care settings and across all sectors of health care," said Tina Hurlock-Chorostecki, President-elect of NPAO. Wendy Fucile, President of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) said the positive impact of nurse practitioners is visible in the province's health-care system every day. The RNAO believes that expanding access to health care by increasing access to nurse practitioners is something that will benefit everyone in Ontario. |
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