Why nurse practitioners are key to fixing Newfoundland and Labrador’s primary care crisis

Shauna Walsh, a nurse practitioner from St. John’s, N.L., is pictured.

Newfoundland and Labrador is facing a primary care crisis. The province ranks lowest in Canada for access to care and has some of the poorest health outcomes nationwide. With a major shortage of family doctors and nurse practitioners across the country, the situation is urgent and demands real solutions. One of the clearest answers is already here: nurse practitioners (NPs).

Nurse practitioners are independent health-care professionals trained to provide both primary and specialized care. They can diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, prescribe medications, and support patients in managing their long-term health and wellness. In many communities across Newfoundland and Labrador, NPs are already the first, and sometimes only, point of access to health care.

Patients know the difference NPs make.

“Even though I have a family MD, I recently had an urgent issue that could not wait. I booked with an NP, who thoroughly assessed me, diagnosed the problem, ordered all the necessary tests, and ensured I had the right follow-up care. I am very grateful for her quick, compassionate, and thorough care,” shared a patient in St. John’s.

NPs take a holistic approach, looking not just at symptoms, but also at the physical, emotional, and environmental factors affecting a patient’s health, making patients feel heard, understood, and safe. National data also shows that NPs help ease pressure on the system: their care has reduced emergency room admissions from long-term care facilities by 20 per cent and cut the use of multiple medications by 55 per cent.

Despite their proven value, NPs remain an underused resource in Newfoundland and Labrador. There are not enough NP-led clinics, and the funding model for their practice limits the number of patients they can serve. If the government really cares about fixing the primary health-care shortage many people are facing, they need to act now and increase the number of NPs, expand NP-led clinics, and give NPs the resources to work to their full scope.

The Registered Nurses’ Union of Newfoundland and Labrador (RNUNL) launched the “There’s an NP for That” campaign on July 30 to raise awareness of the vital role NPs play. The campaign highlights what it means to be an NP and how they improve access to timely, publicly-funded care. It also encourages the public to speak up and push for change. The campaign has been featured at the St. John’s Regatta and across media channels, from billboards and radio to digital platforms.

For many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, NPs have already been lifesavers.

“If I never had an NP to take care of me, I would not have anyone. I could not get a family doctor, but thankfully found an NP who took me on as a patient. I can see them for bloodwork, prescriptions, or something as simple as the flu, instead of having to go to the ER,” said a patient from Kippens.

The message is clear: the people of Newfoundland and Labrador deserve better, faster access to primary care, and NPs are a crucial part of the solution.

Your experiences with NPs can help shape the future of health care. Telling your story of NP care shows the important role they play in making progress across the province.

Be part of the call for change. Visit npforthat.ca to share your experience.