What is a Primary Health Nurse Practitioner?
A Primary Health Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a Registered Nurse who works in a Primary Health setting, has additional education and training, writes a national qualifying exam or has passed stringent requirements for licensure, and is licensed by the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association as an independent practitioner.
Working together - creating relationships
A Primary Health Nurse Practitioner works together with physicians, the community and other health professionals to provide care that meets many needs at once and works with people to provide care that is client and family centred.
What can a Nurse Practitioner do as an independent practitioner?
Diagnose and treat common medical illnesses and chronic medical conditions such as diabetes and COPD
Order tests such as laboratory tests, x-rays and ultrasounds.
Perform common procedures such as removal of moles, excision and drainage of abscesses and suturing of simple wounds (cuts).
After assessment, prescribe medications.
See residents in long term care facilities and order medications, tests, and treatments. (Physicians still need to see residents at least once per month.)
Is also an RN who performs all the care giving activities of a nurse, as well as education, injury prevention, and health promotion.
Works together with the community to improve the health of its population.
