Photo by Chris Schwarz/Government of Alberta.
Following the launch of the Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Program in April, 33 nurse practitioners are already practising independently in rural communities in Alberta.
The program allows nurse practitioners to practise comprehensive patient care autonomously, either by operating their own practices or working independently within existing primary care settings, a Government of Alberta news release said.
Since the spring, 67 applications have been submitted, with 56 approved. Of those, 33 nurse practitioners are now practising autonomously in rural communities, including Three Hills.
“I am thrilled about the interest in this program, as nurse practitioners are a key part of the solution to provide Albertans with greater access to the primary health care services they need,” said Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health.
To participate in the program, nurse practitioners must provide a set number of hours to medically necessary primary care services, maintain a panel size of at least 900 patients, offer after-hours access on weekends, evenings, or holidays, and accept walk-in appointments.
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With 33 nurse practitioners practising independently, about 30,000 Albertans have access to primary health care, the release said.
“Nurse practitioners are highly skilled health care professionals and an invaluable part of our health care system. The Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Program is the right step to ensuring all Albertans can receive care where and when they need it,” said Chelsae Petrovic, parliamentary secretary for health workforce engagement.
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