More than 6.5 million Canadians are without a family doctor. Some would like to see nurse practitioners step in to ease the crisis in primary care
Nurse practitioners could help fill the void, advocates for the profession say, if more provinces would adopt policies to integrate them into primary care and pay them fairly for their work. Some physicians’ organizations have pushed back against that approach, arguing that NPs don’t have as much training or education as family doctors and therefore should only be funded publicly when they’re embedded in interdisciplinary teams with MDs.
Aren’t these the same organizations that have been dragging their feet on recognizing foreign credentials?
I’ve been seeing a nurse practitioner for the last couple of years. So far, she’s provided the same level of care I’m used to from family doctors: prescriptions, forwarding me to specialists when appropriate, providing the usual advice during checkups. It’s fine.
They already are. My work benefits include a service where I can video chat with a NP any time and I don’t have to wait as long for an appointment, which has been handy when I just need some quick advice or a prescription cream for my little ones. We have a family doctor and I love her but she typically books a few weeks out so I only make appointments with her for annual checkups and more serious talks that I can put off for a while.
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They already are. My work benefits include a service where I can video chat with a NP any time and I don’t have to wait as long for an appointment, which has been handy when I just need some quick advice or a prescription cream for my little ones. We have a family doctor and I love her but she typically books a few weeks out so I only make appointments with her for annual checkups and more serious talks that I can put off for a while.
Mine doesn’t. I believe we need to try different models of care delivery, but I’m really leary of privately funded healthcare.
My publicly funded NP has done day-of calls, and usually books urgent appointments promptly.