WHEREAS nurse practitioners are utilized as primary care providers in the delivery of health care services in rural communities across the Province of British Columbia; AND WHEREAS the Ministry of Health does not currently provide funding to support the overhead and operating costs for nurse practitioners to be effectively utilized on a long-term, sustainable basis: Therefore be it resolved that the provincial government be requested to immediately support the funding of overhead and operating costs for nurse practitioners throughout the province in order to effectively utilize this form of primary health care provider delivery service.
Ministry of Health Nurse Practitioners NPs have been a valued and critical part of the BC health care system since 2005. There are 397 practicing NPs registered with the College of Registered Nurses of BC as of December, 2015. NPs work in a variety of health care settings from community health centres to acute care hospitals. They perform the full range of advanced nursing roles, as well as some functions similar to family doctors such as diagnosing and managing common acute and chronic illnesses, prescribing most medications, ordering diagnostic tests and referring to specialists. BC has the ability to train up to 45 NPs per year University of British Columbia, University of Northern BC, and University of Victoria each have 15 seats. Government continues to support NPs, doctors, health authorities, communities, and the First Nations, to ensure NPs are an effective part of our health care system. For example, through collaboration with stakeholders, legislation was introduced in the Spring of 2014 on further integrating NPs into the health system by eliminating barriers and providing them with greater opportunities to meet their patients needs. As at March 31, 2015, the Ministry has provided total funding of approximately 162 million to the health authorities for NP positions. Approximately 17 million of this funding is included within the health authorities annual base budgets to provide funding for NPs salary, benefits and other costs. In May 2012, the Government announced 22.2 million in net new funding for 190 new NP positions over three years through the Nurse Practitioner for BC NP4BC program. The NP4BC program began in the Fall of 2012, and was funding over and above the current 17 million provided annually to health authorities for NPs. The NP4BC program is now concluded and has provided opportunities for existing NPs who have been unable to secure a NP position, as well as creating opportunities for newly qualified NPs, and those graduating in the future throughout BC. As part of its policy discussion paper on rural health services, the Ministry has committed to working with health authorities and other partners to review incentive programs for non-physician health professionals, such as nurse practitioners, in order to better support rural recruitment and retention.