As Nova Scotia continues to face increasing healthcare demands, Nurse Practitioners are proving to be a vital part of the solution.

Nurse practitioners are autonomous healthcare providers offering comprehensive care to residents in the province. NPs in Nova Scotia assess and diagnose medial conditions, order diagnostic tests and lab work, prescribe medications, and refer patients to specialists. Their approach goes beyond treating illness, they also focus on prevention, health promotion, and patient education, helping individuals and families lead healthier lives.

The Impact of NPs on Nova Scotia Healthcare

●  Improving Access: NPs’ presence increases access to care, particularly in communities where family doctors are scarce or overburdened. Nearly 170 NPs work in Primary Care, each serving as the Most Responsible Healthcare Provider (MRHP) for roughly 800 patients. This means that approximately 136,000 Nova Scotians receive their primary health care from nurse practitioners.

●  Reducing Wait Times: NPs are significantly reducing wait times for patients across the province. Whether it’s through in-person visits or virtual consultations,  

●  Working Across Diverse Sectors: There are over 400 nurse practitioners currently practicing in Nova Scotia. From Primary Care and Emergency Departments to ICUs, Neonatal Intensive Care and specialty clinics, NPs are found across the healthcare system.  

●  Enhancing Long-Term Care: In Long-Term Care settings, NPs have a proven track record of improving outcomes, including reducing falls and pressure sores, minimizing unnecessary medications, and decreasing emergency department transfers. These improvements not only benefit patients but also reduce strain on hospitals and emergency services.  

●  Contributing to Education and Research: Many NPs serve as educators and researchers. They are shaping the next generation of healthcare professionals and conducting important studies to improve health outcomes for Nova Scotians. 

The future looks promising for nurse practitioners in Nova Scotia. As healthcare demands grow, NPs are well-positioned to help meet those needs. They can play an even bigger role in expanding access to care across diverse sectors while addressing healthcare gaps.

Leveraging the Potential of NPs for Nova Scotians

Appropriately leveraging NPs and supporting their success is crucial to addressing healthcare shortages and recruiting new NPs to the province.

●  Attracting and Retaining Talent: Recruiting just 50 new NPs into Primary Care could reduce the Care Registry by 40,000 people. To truly strengthen the healthcare system, Nova Scotia must focus on creating attractive work environments for NPs. This includes allowing nurse practitioners to work to their full scope of practice and consider alternative health care delivery forms similar to those in Alberta and British Columbia where NPs oversee the recruitment and retention of fellow nurse practitioners.

 ●  Optimizing NP Skills: NPs in Nova Scotia support policy change that will give the profession an expanded role across various healthcare settings. This includes partnering with the provincial government to actively promote the role of NPs within the healthcare system, encouraging more patients to seek care from NPs and reducing demand on emergency rooms and the care registry. They also support the provincial government adopting the recommendations of the Canada Health Act to allow NPs to bill for primary care services, encouraging more NPs to serve as MRHPs. This will also help with attraction and retention efforts and remove more Nova Scotians from the care registry.

●  Increasing Awareness: To fully leverage the potential of NPs in Nova Scotia, there is a clear need for the public and policymakers to better understand the unique contributions of NPs. Despite their frontline experience and expertise, NPs are often excluded from key healthcare discussions and decision-making processes, diminishing their impact on healthcare policy. NPANS is advocating for NPs to be included in healthcare policy discussions to ensure that the voices of NPs are heard and considered.

The Province of Nova Scotia has made incredible investments in healthcare and we’re grateful for their support. There is always more to do and we look forward to working with the government to explore ways to optimize the skills of nurse practitioners across the province.