Dear NP Colleague,
First, we hope you had a delightful Nursing Week with so much to celebrate for Nursing, RNs and NPs!
This is Mae Katt and Larissa Gadsby, Co-Chairs of RNAO’s Nurse Practitioner Interest Group (NPIG), which represents Ontario’s NPs with the voice of over 41,000 RNs, NPs and nursing students. NPIG’s executives are Natalie Fawcett (Policy & Political Action ENO), Nicole McDonald (Finance ENO), Karen Anderson (Communications ENO), and Robyn Stevens (Student ENO). At our May 14th executive meeting, the highlights of our plan for 2018 includes continuing the dialogue surrounding NPs providing MAID and continuing to provide an NP voice to RNAO’s diverse policy issues. As NPs it is essential that we not only speak out regarding NP related issues, but also provide our perspective issues that affect the system as a whole. This includes engaging in discussions about social and environmental determinants of health.
“Start-up” opportunity
This may be just the right time for you to apply your skills and passion to make a difference in NP practice. Put your name forward for this incredible “start-up” opportunity to for the vacant NPIG executive positions. Remember, NPIG has the expertise of the RNAO Home Office team in policy and communications, among others, to connect us with the decision makers for our voice to be heard.
Strong Voice
RNAO’s NP members tell us that they belong to RNAO “to speak out and make a difference.” The collective efforts of RNAO members have allowed RNAO and NPs to make important strides in health, health-care and nursing policy -- and serve to propel huge advances in the role of nurse practitioners in Ontario. This is in large part because of the visionary, bold and courageous leadership of RNAO – who has worked tirelessly with NPs for decades to advance health for all through full and expanded utilization of NPs in all sectors. This is also thanks to the robust infrastructure that enables us to make dreams a reality. RNAO’s infrastructure includes six departments with over 100 staff who are experts in policy analysis, communications, information technology, membership & services, human resources and more. And, a board of directors of which I (Larissa) am proud to be a member.
RNAO’s and its over 41,000 members’ – including over 1,200 RNAO NPs – ongoing efforts to strengthen the role of NPs have led to significant scope of practice expansions, including the authority to prescribe controlled substances and authority to apply and order diagnostic tests. Together with RNAO we have achieved the establishment of NP-led clinics, authorization of NPs to admit, treat and discharge hospital in-patients, authority to apply and order diagnostic tests, and funding for 75 attending NP positions in long-term care homes. In addition, NPs with expertise in palliative care have recently been granted the authority to independently prescribe high-strength, long-acting opioids through the Palliative Care Facilitated Access (PCFA) program, for which registration is available through RNAO at myRNAO.ca/PCFA.
RNAO advocates for NPs to be recognized for their achievements and expertise. For instance, RNAO and our NP members successfully advocated for NP authority to prescribe controlled substances. This led to the disappointing situation where the College of Nurses of Ontario’s Find a Nurse registry noted “restrictions” on the profiles of those NPs who chose to not attain this optional certification. RNAO raised our concerns about this issue, and has very recently written to the College, urging for alternative wording that is clear and informative for the public, but is respectful of all NPs.
Along with our NPIG colleagues, RNAO Home Office continues to advocate for NP compensation parity, the continued creation and expansion of interprofessional teams, and addressing outstanding NP scope of practice gaps.
RNAO events enable NP members’ advocacy. Our annual event “Take Your Politician To Work” gives members the opportunity to show local political candidates the quality health care RNs and NPs provide every day. RNAO also hosts a number of educational and professional development opportunities, such as the – free of charge – annual Nurse Practitioner Knowledge Exchange Symposium, which brings NPs from all sectors together with top policy experts and decision-makers to network and generate solutions to the problems affecting NPs’ practice in Ontario and our province’s health system. RNAO NP members also have the opportunity to interact with a network of NPs from all sectors through the NP Forum, a message board used to discuss topics of importance to you, your practice, and patient care.
Join RNAO for only $50
If you are a member of RNAO, please accept our sincere thanks for being part of our winning team. If you aren't a member of RNAO, with the special promotion, you can be a member of RNAO for only $50 (plus $6.50 HST) and enjoy all RNAO membership benefits, including Professional Liability Protection (PLP) at no extra cost. Sign up now at MyRNAO.ca/join or call 1-800-268-7199. Don’t forget to join NPIG which is free for the 2017-2018 membership year.
Warm regards,
Mae Katt, RN(EC), HBScN, MEd, NP-PHC
&
Larissa N. Gadsby, RN(EC), BScN, MScN, NP-Paediatrics
p.s. Sign up today. You will get a beautiful gold NP pin along with your RNAO membership card!