Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioners (PHC NPs) are registered nurses, who are specialists in primary health care, that provide accessible, comprehensive and effective care to clients of all ages. They consult and collaborate with physicians and other health care professionals to meet the needs of clients of all ages.
Nurse Practitioners provide comprehensive assessments of patients, prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries, and help patients manage their chronic illnesses. Please visit the Nurse Practitioners' Association of Ontario website for further information.
Nurse Practitioner skills include the ability to:
- Complete a comprehensive health history and assessment;
- Formulate and communicate a diagnosis, taking a differential diagnosis into consideration;
- Prescribe all medications including controlled drugs and substances;
- Dispense, sell, and compound medications;
- Set and cast fractures and dislocated joints;
- Order and interpret all laboratory tests;
- Admit, treat and discharge patients from hospitals; and
- Order some diagnostic imaging tests (CNO, 2016).