Nurse Practitioners: An Introduction
by Sarah-Jane Crossen, NP
Have you met a Nurse Practitioner yet?
Well chances are you will run into one of these health professionals in the near future whether it be at a family doctor’s office, a hospital, or an outpatient clinic. So let me introduce you….
Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are advanced practice nurses with the ability to assess and diagnose common diseases and health concerns, order laboratory and diagnostic testing, and prescribe medications. In order to become an NP, a Registered Nurse with at least two years experience must complete a Masters of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner stream) which includes significant clinical education and experience. In British Columbia, NPs are educated to work in primary care (family medicine) with adult, paediatric, or family populations. Although they can work independently, most NPs prefer to work in collaboration with physicians and other health professionals. Like family doctors, we refer to specialists for assessments and procedures that are outside of our usual scope of practice.
I recently graduated from the University of British Columbia with my MSN (NP) degree and am now working in geriatrics at two long-term care facilities in Coquitlam. My position is a twelve month trial that is funded by Fraser Health. The goal is to see if adding an NP role can help improve the quality of medical care for residents. We also hope to reduce the frequency of unnecessary emergency hospital admissions, which are unpleasant for the residents and a stress on the emergency department.
I help manage the everyday medical needs of the residents in the facility including both acute and chronic diseases. It is difficult for many family doctors to visit their clients once they transfer to a long-term care facility. Since I am at the facility four days a week, I can often assess and treat a health concern more quickly and deal with it before it gets worse. I regularly meet with the medical director, nurses, a pharmacist, a recreation therapist, and a dietitian to review our residents’ health status and to try to reduce unnecessary medications. I help assess episodes of acute illness where the patients might have to go to the emergency department.
Families can contact me to discuss their loved one’s state of health and to help make decisions about their care. I also spend a lot of time supporting the nurses, working on skills and assessments that improve their ability to care for residents.
The number of Nurse Practitioners is increasing in BC so it is likely that you will meet one soon.
So please say hello, and ask us any questions you may have about our role. We look forward to working with you.
*** Sarah-Jane Crossen is a Nurse Practitioner in BC. You can address questions to her through our email at info@bestseniorsinfo.com
