Nurse Practitioners

Doctors of BC welcomes building a collaborative relationship with nurse practitioners (NPs) as part of a multidisciplinary approach to the provision of health care in BC.

To ensure the optimal integration of NPs in BCs health care system, the Doctors of BC recommends:

• Collaborative care teams as the preferred model for NP integration.
• Scope of practice and roles of NPs be clearly defined and understood by each collaborative care team member. Discussions surrounding potential expansion of NP scope of practice should include meaningful physician consultation.
• Standards of practice for NPs ensure there is evidence of sufficient training and demonstrated expertise; must be ethical, appropriate, and consistent with the best available scientific evidence; and must protect the quality of care and safety of patients.
• A formal analysis of the economic impact of NP integration be conducted and should examine the differences in remuneration models, scope of practice, and workload, in the context of BCs health care structure.

For more information, including background, analysis and references, please see the full policy statement.