My dear NP colleagues,
As I reflect on the last two years, we have stayed strong, held it together the best we could. We have had some fantastic topics through the Insider webinars. Many of our rich conversations and topics were fueled by the COVID pandemic. In fact, I believe that we now see our profession in a very different light—we see more opportunities, not less. Though at times the situations feel like barriers, lets rather see them as distractions and refocus our energies toward change.
We have colleagues that have taken this challenging time, and operationalized changes in their practice that has motivated many of us not to throw in the towel. We have shared tears as we shared our stories. We have seen, and continue to learn about, the gaps in our Ontario health care system, which we hope, as NP’s to be part of the solution. Our expanding scope of practice with ordering imaging such as CT scans and MRI, along with the authority for point of care testing is yet another practice change which is an exciting opportunity to serve our patients better. We have had another successful Resolution accepted at the 2022 RNAO AGM, and we hope to submit many more in the future, all to further increase patient access to care through NP practice. The NP Institute and Symposium this past year provided us with venues from which to spur on further discussions and opportunities.
I encourage all of you to keep the communication lines open, not just through the larger events but through our private Facebook page and Twitter. Let the NPIG Exec know what is on your mind, how we can grow together, and how we can lobby for change. Consider partnering with the NPIG through action. We currently have two NPIG Exec positions open, so please consider joining our team. May I add, that through our RNAO membership, I am also grateful for the Liability coverage, and if you are not part of the NPIG, I would encourage you to join our interest group which gives you access to the Insider live and recorded webinar, and the private Facebook page. It is such an honour to be part of our progressive profession and to be affiliated with each of you. On behalf of the NPIG Executive, I want to thank you for being a part of our team through RNAO.
Sally Baerg NP-PHC, MSc, MScN
Cochair NPIG