VANCOUVER — British Columbia is creating 200 new nurse practitioner positions in an effort to connect more residents to a primary care provider.
Nurse practitioners can either work on their own or as part of a team, diagnosing patients, ordering tests and prescribing medications.
Health Minister Adrian Dix says there are currently 426 specialized nurses working across the province, and more are needed for the government's broader plan to improve access to care for residents.
Dix says B.C. has been slow to integrate the nurses into the health-care system, and that needs to change in order to meet the growing needs of an aging population.
Creating the new positions will cost about $155 million over the next three years.
Dix says the province will also spend $1.2 million to create 30 new seats in nurse practitioner training programs across B.C.
