More nurse practitioners a boost for primary care

Albertans will gain more access to primary care with the hiring of up to 25 more nurse practitioners (NPs).

Alberta’s government is providing $3.1 million for Phase 2 of the Primary Care Network (PCN) NP Support Program. The program is designed to increase the number of NPs in the health system and provide more access to timely care.

The NP support program began in 2019 to improve access to primary care, especially in high demand areas. There were 24 new full-time NPs hired in Phase 1. An additional 27 NPs were grandfathered from previous programs for a total of 51 NPs currently in the program.

Alberta’s government is committed to supporting NPs to work to the full scope of their skills and knowledge. Examples of recent changes include:

• Updating ambulance regulations to allow NPs to work as medical directors and provide real-time medical advice to paramedics.
• Allowing NPs to act as independent primary care providers in nursing homes.
• Authorizing NPs to complete driver medical examination forms.

The government will continue evaluating how best to support NPs in the health-care system, including considering alternate funding frameworks.

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