Ontario is expanding the scope of practice for nurse practitioners and registered nurses.
In a news conference at UHN's Toronto General Hospital, Deputy Premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones said nurse practitioners (NPs) will be able to be more involved in cardiac care, end-of-life care and skin care, and registered nurses (RNs) will be allowed to certify death in cases where it was expected.
"Expanding the roles of nurse practitioners and registered nurses will provide choice and convenience for people in where, when and how they access care while supporting health system capacity," Minister Jones said in the event on Thursday, Nov. 28.
The Minister noted that NPs and RNs already possess the expertise and education to support this role expansion, and will continue to receive the tools they need, including standards of practice, policies and guidelines to support professional practice.
"I want to recognize the government's continued efforts to improve access to care and invest in health care teams, particularly our valued nursing colleagues," said Dr. Kevin Smith, UHN President & CEO. "Today's announcement is very much another milestone in advancing those goals."
At UHN, there are about 4200 RNs at all sites providing integral care to a patient population at its most vulnerable. There are also about 160 NPs across all five hospitals performing a wide range of services, including assessing and triaging patients, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, diagnosing illnesses, developing treatment plans and referring as required.
"This is a welcome change that will be pivotal to optimizing patient care and enhancing the patient experience," Pam Hubley, Vice President of Health Disciplines and Chief Nurse Executive at UHN, told the news conference. "It will be an essential element of maintaining a strong and adaptable health care system, and foster growth within the profession."
Investing in the scholarship, professional development and expanded role of our nurses and nurse practitioners is a key solution in advancing UHN's mission of A Healthier World.
Barbara Bailey, a nurse practitioner with the Toronto Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program at UHN's Peter Munk Cardiac Centre and President of the Nurse Practitioners' Association of Ontario, said the expanded scope of practice will make it "faster and more convenient" for people to access care.
"Importantly, the government recognizes the value and contributions of nurse practitioners and is committed to working together to come up with innovative solutions to ensure people in Ontario and across the country have access to timely health care," she said.
The changes announced by Minister Jones, which have been made in consultation with the College of Nurses of Ontario and other health care partners, include:
- Providing faster care for someone in cardiac arrest by allowing NPs to order and apply a defibrillator, which provides an electric shock to help restore a person's regular heartbeat;
- Making it faster for people to receive care if their heart isn't beating regularly by allowing NPs to order and apply cardiac pacemaker therapy;
- Helping people with skin conditions and lesions such as skin tags get them removed faster by allowing nurse practitioners to order and perform electrocoagulation;
- Improving the end-of-life experience for families after the death of a loved one by allowing NPs to certify death in more circumstances;
- Helping ensure deaths are registered in a timely manner to preserve dignity for the deceased and their families by allowing RNs to certify death when the death is expected.
