A closer look at Nurse Practitioners

COURTNEY McCLURE The Standard

Around the world, nurse practitioners (NP) have played a significant role within various healthcare systems, said the CEO of Medimap, Thomas Jankowski. NPs have been doing their part respectively for "decades".

Healthcare clinics run by NPs have received glowing reviews, according to Mr. Jankowski.

He said, in most cases, these clinics meet the "same standards" as doctor-led clinics. In some cases, nurse-led clinics go above and beyond, "exceeding" the practices of doctor-led clinics.

Since discovering the success of NP-led clinics, Mr. Jankowski believes nurses may act as a solution to many of the issues affecting the healthcare industry.

"We are all in this together," said Mr. Jankowski. The issues Canada's healthcare system is facing cannot be solved unless all healthcare professionals work together.

According to Mr. Jankowski, there is a shortage of doctors within the Canadian healthcare system, so, it is important to "empower" other healthcare professionals such as pharmacists and nurses. For example, allowing pharmacists to prescribe more medications to their patients, which Ontario is already doing.

Mr. Jankowski said, there are about 14,000 family doctors in Ontario, and that number is decreasing day-by-day. In comparison, there are about one hundred thousand nurses. However, only about 300 out of that 10-thousand can start NP training.

"It's crazy," said Mr. Jankoski. He hopes there will be changes within the province within the next few years. Currently, some nurses are unable to "upgrade", or progress within their industry.

For example, a nurse may finish their schooling at the age of 22, and get a job at a hospital. From there, they will likely be working at that hospital or within hospitals, for over 20 years.

"There's really no [current] path for [nurses] to upgrade themselves," explained Mr. Jankowski.

However, those nurses can take a nurse practitioner course and open a few more doors for themselves within the healthcare field. Mr. Jankowski said this is one of the best options for nurses who are looking to get further in the healthcare industry.

NPs are able to diagnose some illnesses and provide treatment. They can also order some diagnostic tests such as blood tests, X-rays and CT scans.

NPs who have opened their own clinics are usually successful, according to Mr. Jankowski. However, this may not be the case for all nurses who open their own clinics.

Medimap is a Canadian health-tech company. According to Mr. Jankowski, Medimap has helped many nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals expand their business. To learn more about Medimap, please visit their website at https://medimap.ca/.