Michelle Acorn
Nurse Practitioner and CEO, Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario
With Ontario’s health care system facing significant workforce shortages, enabling nurse practitioners to practise at their full scope benefits everyone.
Workforce shortages across Ontario’s health care system have a direct impact on patient access, continuity of care, and overall system performance. “Ontarians are experiencing longer wait times, delayed diagnoses, and increased reliance on emergency departments for non-urgent care,” says Michelle Acorn, a nurse practitioner and CEO of the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario (NPAO), a not-for-profit professional organization representing nurse practitioners (NPs) in Ontario.
Primary care access is one of the most urgent issues. “Approximately 3.3 million Ontarians don’t have a regular primary care provider, which places added strain on emergency departments and acute care settings,” says Acorn. To help alleviate this burden, Ontario needs to fully engage all qualified health care professionals, including NPs.
Recruitment and retention challenges persist
NPs are autonomous, licensed health professionals who play a vital role in supporting health care. Educated at the master’s or doctoral level, they’re qualified to assess, diagnose, treat, and manage acute and chronic illnesses, order and interpret labs and diagnostic tests, prescribe medications, and perform procedures. NPs work across a range of settings, including primary care, hospitals, long-term care homes, hospice, Indigenous health organizations, and mobile outreach programs. They improve access by providing timely care, especially in remote or rural communities where there are fewer practising physicians, and help to reduce pressure on emergency departments and hospitals.
Despite the growing demand for NPs and their proven ability to address Ontario’s access-to-care gap, there are significant challenges to recruiting and retaining them. “Compensation remains one of the most pressing issues as NP remuneration has not kept pace with their expanded scope of practice, level of responsibility, or increasing demand within the health care system,” says Acorn.
Another challenge is inconsistencies in funding models across sectors. “Many NPs are funded through time-limited programs or fragmented arrangements that make long-term workforce planning difficult,” says Acorn. Additionally, heavy workloads, administrative burden, and limited opportunities for leadership and career advancement contribute to burnout and retention concerns, resulting in Ontario losing experienced NPs to other provinces, sectors, or roles where compensation and working conditions are more competitive.
A voice for NPs across Ontario
For years, the NPAO has advocated for these supports through both government relations and public awareness efforts. A significant part of that is lobbying for flexible funding and models of care that enable NPs to establish their own practices, take on larger patient panels, and expand access to care. Through its recent “Publicly Fund Nurse Practitioners” campaign, the NPAO is encouraging Ontarians and health care allies to support NPs by sharing campaign materials, writing to their local MPP, and signing its petition.
Ontario’s highly skilled NP workforce is closing care gaps across the province, particularly in underserved communities, and is ready to do more. “With the right policy and funding support in place, NPs can play a central role in providing high-quality, accessible care across Ontario,” says Acorn.
Consider joining the NPAO in advocating for increased funding and support for NPs by signing its petition, or visit npao.org to learn more.