What is a Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic (NPLC)?
Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics are an innovative model for delivery of comprehensive primary health care in Ontario and Canada in which Nurse Practitioners are the lead providers of primary health care. NPLCs improve the quality of care through enhanced health promotion, disease prevention and chronic disease management, as well as improve care co-ordination and navigation of the health care system at the local level. One of the unique aspects of the model is the incorporation of nursing leadership within an interprofessional team.
NPLCs provides comprehensive, accessible, equitable and coordinated primary health care services through a collaborative practice approach. The interprofessional team at the Lakeshore Community NPLC includes nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered social worker, registered dietitian, physiotherapist, respiratory therapist, diabetic educator, collaborating family physician and other health care professionals.
Engaging patients as full partners in their care plan with attention to self-care to the extent that patients are willing and able to participate is an important aspect of the underlying philosophy of NPLCs.
How is a Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic different from other models of primary care?
NPLCs provide the same comprehensive family health-care services as other family practice models. The key difference is that nurse practitioners are the lead providers of primary health care and are in leadership at all levels of the organization (e.g., governance, clinical practice and day to day operations) is embedded into the structure of the organization and patient care. This brings the comprehensive perspective of nurses, especially the focus on wellbeing, health promotion and disease prevention, to the day-to-day delivery of care for patients. In this model, nurse practitioners and registered nurses work to their full scope of practice.
What is a Nurse Practitioner?
A nurse practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse with advanced university education who provides personalized, quality health care to patients. NPs must meet rigorous requirements and standards to enter and maintain ongoing registration in Ontario. NPs independently, and in collaboration with health care professionals, provide a full range of health care services for all ages and across the health spectrum.
What can a Nurse Practitioner do?
Nurse practitioners assess, diagnose, treat and monitor a wide range of health problems using an evidence-based approach to their practice. Chronic disease management, health promotion and illness prevention, as well as helping patients navigate through the health care system are integral to their approach to patient care.
Who regulates Nurse Practitioners?
The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) regulates nurse practitioners.
