What is a Nurse Practitioner?
A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse with advanced university education who provides personalized, quality health care to patients. Ontario Nurse Practitioners provide a full range of health care services to individuals, families and communities in a variety of settings including hospitals and community based clinics in cities and smaller towns in Ontario. We work in partnership with physicians, nurses and other health care professionals such as social workers, midwives, mental health professionals and pharmacists to keep you, your family and your community well.
Scope of Practice
Nurse Practitioners provide holistic, patient centered care that is embedded in a nursing philosophy that focuses on wellness and the social, psychological, environmental and spiritual aspects of health. Some of the care NPs provide has traditionally fallen within the scope of a physician. Nurse Practitioners are not physician replacements, but they do provide care that combines medical knowledge and the values and skills of nursing.
In Ontario, Nurse Practitioners are authorized to:
- Complete a comprehensive health history and assessment;
- Formulate and communicate a diagnosis;
- Prescribe all medications;
- Dispense, sell, and compound medications;
- Order and interpret all laboratory tests;
- Order all diagnostic imaging tests including CT, MRI, xray and ultrasound
- Refer patients to specialists
Who regulates Nurse Practitioners?
The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) regulates Nurse Practitioners.
Read more about Nurse Practitioners:
Nurse Practitioner Association of Ontario