The Ontario government is committed to more than doubling the number of nurse practitioners (NPs) in the province and expanding their role within the province's healthcare system. Specifically, the government has implemented a variety of initiatives, including :

• placing 117 new NPs in underserviced areas across the province in 2002/03 ($11 million) as part of our commitment to add 369 new NPs over the next three years;
• putting 106 NP positions in underserviced areas, long-term care facilities, primary care pilot projects and aboriginal health access centres ($10 million);
• upgrading 87 equivalent nursing positions to NPs and creating 34 new NP positions in community-based settings ($5 million);
• funding the NP education program ($1.7 million);
• hiring a NP at five public health units in northern Ontario as part of pilot project to provide health outreach services to remote communities ($1 million); and
• introducing legislation to establish NPs' scope of practice.

Nurse Practitioners are expert nurses with additional education and skills that enable them to provide front-line primary health care. They always work closely with family physicians and other healthcare professionals. NPs emphasize the importance of staying healthy and preventing disease.

NPs can serve as the first point of contact in Ontario's healthcare system. They diagnose and treat common, everyday illnesses such as minor infections and injuries, or provide sexual health education, counselling and prescriptions for birth control. They care for healthy women, provide early prenatal care and healthy baby care. NPs can also help patients to manage their chronic disease such as asthma, diabetes or high blood pressure.

They can also work in a clinic or provide healthcare right out in the community, such as in a high school.

January 2003

Call the ministry INFOline at 1-866-532-3161 (Toll-free in Ontario only) TTY 1-800-387-5559 Hours of operation : 8:30am - 5:00pm

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