How nurse practitioners are bridging the gap between family doctors and the ER – CBC

Nurse practitioners have additional training that allow them to administer more types of primary care

Dec 05, 2021

Jane Cassie had gone through a “frustrating” years-long journey looking for the right family doctor.

The breast cancer survivor rarely felt like she was being given the time and attention needed to address her complex needs, thanks in part to the so-called “10-minute, two-problem rule,” which meant any visit could be no more than 10 minutes long and could only address a maximum of two issues.

“It was always kind of a Band-Aid solution; they didn’t really have the time to get involved any more than that,” she told White Coat, Black Art host Dr. Brian Goldman.

Recently, however, a friend suggested she contact a different type of health-care provider: A nurse practitioner.

Her first visit to the Axis Primary Care Centre, a nurse practitioner-led clinic (NPLCs) in Surrey, B.C., was a revelation, she said.

“I was impressed right away — it was an hour visit with her. OK, I hadn’t had that much attention ever from a GP,” she said. “And from there, she did my entire [medical] history. She was able to get everything down.”

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/whitecoat/how-nurse-practitioners-are-bridging-the-gap-between-family-doctors-and-the-er-1.6267206