Carere and her colleagues in Ontario may face another round of trust building once the realities of Bill 179 hit clinics and hospitals, possibly as early as April. Passed in December 2009, the bill expands the nurse practitioner role even further, allowing them to prescribe an expanded range of drugs and to order any type of X-ray and CT scan. The changes will come into effect as soon as Ontario's College of Physicians and Surgeons amends its bylaws and updates its practice manuals.
At the last appointment of Carere's 10-hour day, she sees a 43-year-old woman with chronic depression. She slumps in the chair across from Carere, exhausted by the effort it took to come in. She has started taking an antidepressant, but still has trouble getting out of bed and feels unable to work. Carere is determined to find the cause of the woman's pain. Her story slowly comes out. It includes a series of physically abusive relationships, a custody battle over her son, and an out-of-control teenager. She's frustrated, and very sad.
Going the extra mile
Carere formulates a plan. "You can't just sleep all day. You need a routine. And I think we need to deal with your son's behavioural issues and we'll get some support and counselling for you, too." After names and phone numbers pass hands, the woman thanks Carere and walks out of the examining room with more spring in her step. The lines on her face are softer and there's the slightest hint of a smile.
Carere looks pleased, too. She could have just renewed the woman's prescription for venlafaxine, but she knew it was important to go further. As a nurse practitioner, she had the tools and training to do that. And she seems to recognize that this is how the face of Canadian health care can change – one patient and one nurse practitioner at a time.
How to find a nurse practitioner
B.C.
British Columbia Nurse Practitioner Association: bcnpa.org/search
Alberta
Health Link Alberta: 866-408-5465
Yukon
Yukon Telehealth Network: 867-667-8033
Northwest Territories
Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority: 867-873-7276
Nunavut
Health and Social Services: 800-663-5738
Manitoba
Contact Marta Crawford, Primary Health Care Branch, Manitoba Health: 204-786-7342
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Association of Nurse Practitioners: sasknursepractitioner.org/find-an-np
Ontario
Health Care Connect: 800-445-1822; ontario.ca/healthcareconnect
New Brunswick
Tele-Care: Call 811
Nova Scotia
HealthLink: Call 811
Prince Edward Island
Island Information Service: 800-236-5196
Newfoundland and Labrador
HealthLine: 888-709-2929
Page 4 of 4
