But working in a multidisciplinary practice, they can address some of the problems. Aylward said her government has no intention of replacing doctors with NPs or of requiring nurses to work without support from doctors. The nurse practitioners at the session called for collaborative working relationships that allow health professionals to do what they do best. Linda Jones, an Ontario NP with 10 years' experience, said her province's legislation helps clarify her responsibilities and her relationship with doctors. I'm there as an equal member, not as a physician assistant.
Nurse practitioners are there in our right to offer our own style of health care.
Some of the doctors shared her opinion of what multidisciplinary practices should entail. Dr. Dale Dewar of Wynyard, Sask., has worked successfully with NPs in northern communities. They provide the social context that physicians don't always offer. Other rural doctors explained how nurse practitioners helped to reduce the time they spend on call by dealing with some of the cases themselves and calling the doctor only when necessary. This intermediary role is considered particularly important when someone is the lone physician in a community or region.