TORONTO — Ontario long-term care homes could soon have nurse practitioners overseeing residents' medical care instead of physicians, a move applauded by nurses and the homes but not supported by doctors.
TORONTO — Ontario long-term care homes could soon have nurse practitioners overseeing residents' medical care instead of physicians, a move applauded by nurses and the homes but not supported by doctors.
Long-Term Care Minister Natalia Kusendova-Bashta said operators were allowed to fill the medical director role with nurse practitioners during the pandemic, and she is now making that permanent. The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario had pushed for the change, and president Lhamo Dolkar said it will improve collaboration among health professionals in long-term care homes and help retain nurses in Ontario by giving them more career pathways.
Dr. Dominik Nowak, president of the Ontario Medical Association, said doctors, nurses and all other health professionals play important roles in the health system, but the oversight of medical care in long-term care homes must be performed by doctors. Lisa Levin, the CEO of AdvantAge Ontario, representing the province's non-profit long-term care homes, said operators are supportive of the change.
"Have they done any studies?" she said."Do they have any empirical evidence that it's sufficient?...The concerns that I have is what is the effect on the residents? Are they going to be missing things? You've got to remember that people in long-term care today are extremely complex."
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