Minister affirms government support for Nurse Practitioners

The role of nurse practitioners within the Prince Edward Island health system is here to stay, says Health and Wellness Minister Doug Currie.

“We have 12 competent Nurse Practitioners (NPs) working in the province today, and we will continue to expand opportunities for these valuable health professionals,” said Minister Currie. “The recent pilot project, enabling a Nurse Practitioner to carry a caseload of patients, provided information that will help us move forward as we continue to integrate NPs into our system.”

Regulations currently allow the registrar of the Association of Registered Nurses of Prince Edward Island (ARNPEI) to authorize NPs who possess the appropriate education and training to prescribe drugs including narcotics.

“This is not a legislative issue. The department took steps several years ago to ensure ARNPEI had appropriate authority in these matters,” said Minister Currie. “Nurse Practitioners support the role of physicians and increase access to primary health care services. We will continue to recruit and support Nurse Practitioners, and we look forward to identifying even more physicians who want to work in this collaborative model.”