The newly revised Nurse Practitioner practice standard is now available online. The publication outlines the nursing practice expectations for all Nurse Practitioners (NPs).
The document has been revised to reflect changes to the regulations in the Nursing Act, 1991 and to include feedback the College has received from NPs since the previous Nurse Practitioners practice standard was published in 2008.
The changes to practice standard mean NPs are now able to:
- dispense, sell and compound medication in specified circumstances (for example, when the client does not have reasonable access to a pharmacy);
- set and cast fractures in specified circumstances (for example, closed and un-displaced stable fractures); and
- give client care orders to RNs and RPNs for procedures that they previously could not (e.g., venipuncture to obtain blood samples).
In addition, the NP drug list will be discontinued. With the exception of controlled substances, NPs will have the authority to prescribe medication as appropriate for client care. (This amendment does not affect the lists of X-rays and ultrasounds that continue to govern clinical aspects of NP practice.)
More information about how these changes will affect NP practice can be found in our resource section for Nurse Practitioners.