Press Release October 10 2024
Jessica Selvaratnam
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2024
Modernizing New Brunswick’s Healthcare: Empowering Nurse Practitioners to Bridge the Primary Care Gap
Fredericton, NB – With approximately 180,000 New Brunswickers currently lacking a primary care provider, the time has come to modernize our healthcare system. Nurse Practitioners of New Brunswick are calling for a transformative approach that will enable nurse practitioners (NPs) to launch their own or join other publicly funded team-based primary care clinics, ensuring timely and comprehensive healthcare access for all residents.
“We have more than two hundred nurse practitioners in the province, and that number is growing.” Chantal Ricard, Nurse Practitioner and President of Nurse Practitioners of New Brunswick. “If allowed to practice to our full scope of expertise in publicly funded team-based primary care clinics, we can ensure all New Brunswickers have access to primary care.”
Nurse practitioners are experienced registered nurses with graduate-level education in advanced clinical practice in primary care. They often earn additional certifications and advanced degrees.
Nurse practitioners evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients, order and interpret diagnostic tests, prescribe medications, refer patients to specialists, and oversee comprehensive care. They provide a wide range of services within their scope of practice, training, and expertise, ensuring all aspects of a patient's health are addressed.
“British Columbia and Alberta have successfully implemented a model that allows nurse practitioners to lead primary care clinics or join existing team-based settings,” says Ricard. “Nurse practitioners in Alberta are paid directly by the province at a set salary and, in some cases, receive initial funding to establish their clinics. A similar model can be applied in New Brunswick to expand access to primary care, reduce healthcare costs, and improve patient satisfaction.”
Benefits for New Brunswickers
Expanded Access: More primary care options, especially in underserved areas.
Cost Efficiency: Lower overall healthcare expenditures due to timely preventative care and chronic disease management.
System Relief: Reduced burden on emergency rooms and shorter wait times.
Professional Satisfaction: More attractive working conditions for NPs, leading to better job satisfaction and improved retention.
Patient Satisfaction: Quicker access to healthcare fosters stronger relationships with providers and enhances the overall patient experience.
“We recognize it’s not a one-size-fits-all model that will address all the growing healthcare strains,” adds Ricard. “Nurse Practitioners of New Brunswick are eager to collaborate with provincial politicians, departments, and health authorities and the medical community to modernize our primary healthcare system. It is time we all come together to make our healthcare system better for everyone—New Brunswickers and healthcare professionals. Let’s ensure all New Brunswickers have access to primary care in 2026.”
Nurse Practitioners of New Brunswick have reached out to all the provincial party leaders for meetings to discuss the next steps to modernize primary care and how to empower nurse practitioners to transform health care.
Contact:
Sharon Hamilton, President-Elect, Nurse Practitioners of NB, 506-440-0243, npnbexecutiveoffice@gmail.com
About Nurse Practitioners of New Brunswick
Nurse Practitioners of New Brunswick is dedicated to advancing the role of nurse practitioners in the healthcare system, ensuring that all residents have access to high-quality, comprehensive primary care.