MONTREAL -- New provisions came into effect Monday that allow 550 specialized nurse practitioners in Quebec to diagnose and treat some conditions.
The new rules will allow specialized nurse practitioners to enjoy more autonomy and better exercise their skills, while working to improve access to health care in the province.
Three new activities are being added to the duties specialized nurse practitioners can already perform. They are:
• Diagnosing diseases (according to their field of competence)
• Determining medical treatments
• Carrying out pregnancy monitoring
Specialized nurse practitioners are nurses who hold a master's degree and a graduate degree. They can be specialized in primary care, neonatology, mental health, adult or pediatric care.
The new provisions represent a ‘historic advance’ for the Order of Nurses of Quebec, who said it will promote access to health care for the benefit of citizens.
In an interview Monday, President Luc Mathieu said his professional order had been working on this for "several years." Mathieu said the collaboration with doctors had been good, and he believed it will get better, for the benefit of the patients.
