Strengthening care for nursing home residents

By Janet Kanters, Editor

The province is modifying regulations to allow nurse practitioners to provide expanded care to nursing home residents during COVID-19.

According to the province’s ministry of health, changes to the nursing home regulations will allow nurse practitioners to act as primary care providers in nursing homes, admitting and assessing residents, as well as offering follow-up care. Changes will also enable nurse practitioners and other qualified health professionals to prescribe medication and order treatments in nursing homes, according to their scopes of practice.

“Nurse practitioners’ advanced skills and knowledge are needed now more than ever,” said Tyler Shandro, Minister of Health, in a news release. “Removing barriers so they can fulfil their role as independent primary care providers in nursing homes is part of our commitment to do everything we can to protect Alberta’s most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Current nursing home regulations do not allow nurse practitioners and other health professionals to work to their full scopes in nursing homes. The province said changes to the regulations will increase access to quality care for nursing home residents while reducing red tape and duplication for health professionals, service providers and operators.

“Nurse practitioners are in a unique position to provide a broad scope of services in Alberta nursing homes. We look forward to working with government and AHS to reduce regulatory red tape and identify more ways nurse practitioners can help meet the province’s health-care needs,” said Mary-Elizabeth Cooper, president, Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta.

Changes will remain in effect until Aug. 14, unless the ministerial order is terminated earlier or the public health emergency is reduced or extended.