NL launches pilot to fund some nurse practitioners

ST. JOHN’S, NL – Premier John Hogan announced a $2 million, year-long pilot project to publicly fund some nurse practitioners. Newfoundland and Labrador is launching a pilot project to publicly fund some nurse practitioners as independent contractors to allow more people to access primary care.

“What it means for the patients is that nurse practitioners who participate will no longer charge them for out of pocket, medically necessary services,” said Hogan.

Nurse practitioners who take part in the year-long pilot will be considered independent contractors who provide a combination of same-day and scheduled appointments but will also be tied to family care teams in the provincial health system.

In a statement, the province said funding will also cover access to electronic medical records, along with equipment, clinic space, supplies and administrative support for 1,950 hours of service per year – including 1,660 hours of direct patient care.

Health minister Krista Lynn Howell said nurse practitioners in the pilot project will receive a salary in line with what practitioners working within Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services make.

While the pilot project will cost $2 million, the government and the association representing those medical professionals says it will increase access to primary care for people without a family doctor.

Howell hopes the pilot can roll out in September, and around 20 of the province’s 351 licensed nurse practitioners are anticipated to take part.

“The role of the nurse practitioner is growing and developing, and we have a scope of practice here in Newfoundland and Labrador that’s one of the highest in the country,” she said.

“We’re hopeful that there will be significant uptake, and right now, we’re in the ballpark of about $2 million for this project, give or take.”

Jessica Peddle (pictured), president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurse Practitioner Association, said the announcement recognizes nurse practitioners as key, homegrown primary healthcare providers.

The pilot project will mark the first time in the province that independent practitioners can provide care without cost to the patient, she said.

“This has been years and years of work, so to finally see this come to fruition is such an exciting day for us,” said Peddle.

“[Nurse practitioners] want to be able to provide this care, and they don’t want to charge. So this is huge for them.”

Peddle said the pilot project will be tweaked as problems arise and officials in the province can learn from other provinces with similar programs already in place.

Registered Nurses’ Union of Newfoundland and Labrador president Yvette Coffey said giving more people access to primary care through nurse practitioners can free up space in emergency rooms.

It’s a good first step, she said, that she believes can go further in the future.

“We’ve been talking about doing locum agreements for nurse practitioners … so we still got more work to [do], more discussions to be had,” said Coffey.