Nurse Practitioner Announced for Shelburne County

Residents of Shelburne, Barrington, and Lockeport will soon have access to a new health-care professional. Health Minister Angus MacIsaac announced today, Aug. 18, that he has accepted a proposal from South West Nova District Health Authority for a new nurse practitioner.

"Adding nurse practitioners to our teams of health-care professionals allows us to develop creative solutions to meet the unique needs of areas of the province such as Shelburne County," said Mr. MacIsaac.

Nurse practitioners can prescribe medications, order tests, interpret those tests and communicate results to the patient. They can also conduct examinations and manage chronic diseases such as diabetes. A nurse practitioner works in collaboration with a physician, but is an independent practitioner. The nurse practitioner can refer patients to the collaborating physician if the treatment/illness is beyond their scope of practice, such as a cancer diagnosis.

"We are delighted to have another nurse practitioner approved for our district," said Blaise MacNeil, CEO of the health authority. "Like the residents of Long and Brier Islands who welcomed a nurse practitioner in 2002, the people of Shelburne County will benefit from having a nurse practitioner to support their health-care needs and to focus on health promotion and education."

The health authority will begin recruiting for the nurse practitioner in September.

The Department of Health has added $650,000 to its budget this year to fund four new nurse practitioners, bringing the total in the province to 20. Of the three remaining positions, one will support the primary health care Tui'kn initiative -- a partnership among the five First Nations communities in Cape Breton, Health Canada, Dalhousie University, the Cape Breton District Health Authority and the Nova Scotia Department of Health. The locations for the other two positions have yet to be decided.