Nurse Practitioners in British Columbia: A Historical Briefing

2016

Developed by the British Columbia Nurse Practitioner Association, one of NNPBC’s predecessor organizations, in 2016, this briefing document provides a snapshot of the nurse practitioner (NP) profession at an important point in its development in BC.

At the time, nurse practitioners had been practising in the province for just over a decade. The document looks back at the introduction of the NP role in BC, beginning with work in the late 1990s to develop the role and the establishment of the NP title and scope of practice in 2005. It also describes how NPs were practising across the province and the contribution they were making to primary, acute and community care.

A central focus of the briefing is the barriers British Columbia Nurse Practitioner Association (BCNPA) identified to fuller integration of nurse practitioners into BC’s health system. In particular, it examines the lack of a sustainable funding model, limits on where and how NPs could practise, and the need for greater understanding of the NP role among decision-makers, health-care colleagues and the public.

The document also sets out BCNPA’s principles for NP funding, considers several possible approaches to funding NP services, and makes recommendations to government related to long-term funding, public awareness, collaboration with physicians and the development of primary care models.

A historical resource

This document is now approximately 10 years old and reflects the policy, funding, regulatory and practice environment in British Columbia in 2016. Many aspects of NP practice and the health system have changed since it was written.

NNPBC is sharing it as a historical resource because it documents some of the issues, ideas and advocacy priorities that shaped the development of the NP profession in BC. It can also provide useful context for understanding how longstanding questions about NP integration, compensation and models of practice have evolved over time.