Nurse Practitioners in New Brunswick: A Provincial Perspective on Primary Care

Episode Description

It's Season 2 of Prescription for Primary Care, and we're starting off with a chat with our friends in Eastern Canada!

In this episode, we explore the transformative potential of nurse practitioners in addressing New Brunswick's healthcare crisis with Sharon Hamilton, President of the Nurse Practitioners of New Brunswick.

Sharon shares her expertise on how nurse practitioners are positioned to revolutionize primary care access in New Brunswick and discusses the critical need for inclusive collaborative care models.

Key Points Discussed:

1. New Brunswick's Healthcare Landscape
   • Current state of primary care access in the region
   • 180,000 residents without primary care providers
   • Potential solutions through nurse practitioner integration
2. Growing NP Workforce
   • Nurse practitioners as second-fastest growing profession nationally
   • 45 new NP graduates expected in New Brunswick by 2025
   • Potential impact: serving up to 45,000 patients from current waitlists
3. Collaborative Care Models
   • Historical challenges in healthcare collaboration
   • Need for inclusive planning with healthcare professionals
   • Importance of developing sustainable funding models
4. Future of Healthcare Delivery
   • Role of nurse practitioners in primary care
   • Advocacy for publicly funded collaborative care clinics
   • Vision for accessible healthcare for all New Brunswick residents

Guest Information

Sharon Hamilton is the President of the Nurse Practitioners of New Brunswick. She completed her nurse practitioner training at Yale University in 2005, specializing in oncology and palliative care, before pursuing additional primary care education at the University of New Brunswick. Currently, she serves at the Fredericton Downtown Community Health Clinic and contributes to medical education as a lecturer at Dalhousie University's Faculty of Medicine.

You can find find the Nurse Practitioners of New Brunswick on:

Website: https://www.npnb.ca/

Facebook: @NPNBpublic

LinkedIn: @npnb-ipnb

Notable Quotes

"Nurse practitioners commonly secure rosters of nine hundred to one thousand patients within three years."

"Get the people at the table who are working on the ground, who know what needs to be done so that our healthcare system can thrive."