Nurse practitioners in B.C. now allowed to admit and discharge patients

VICTORIA – Nurse practitioners are being given expanded roles in B.C. hospitals that will allow them to admit and discharge patients.

The job of nurse practitioner is normally confined to diagnosing, prescribing and ordering diagnostic tests to treat common medical conditions.

And while most NP’s have the education needed to do admissions work, they didn’t have the legislative authority.

Health Minister Margaret MacDairmid says the government has now brought in regulations to close that gap.

The minister says the changes will help ease congestion and reduce workloads in hospitals, especially in rural areas that have with fewer physicians.

B.C. is now the second province in Canada, behind Ontario, to give NP’s admitting and discharge privileges.