A few weeks ago, Micheline Duquette Viziau presented herself at the Piedmont Health Practitioner + Clinic, a private specialized nurse practitioner (IPS) service in the Laurentians, for a problem with lumbar osteoarthritis.
“I haven’t had a family doctor for a few years and I am very satisfied with the staff when I come too the clinic,” this septuagenarian explained. “I’d rather pay and come here than wait in the hospital.”
the owner of the clinic,Kim C. Dupuis, herself a specialized nurse practitioner, confirms: the private sector is attractive for IPS. “Currently, we have six IPS who work with us, including three young nurse practitioners who literally left the public to come with us,” she explains.
Her private clinic project was intended “entrepreneurial” when it opened in 2015, “but at the same time, I care about the public. See so many IPS want to go private […]that tells me that there is still a problem, because basically, these are IPS from the public,” notes Ms.Dupuis.
Three years from the public requested
As 2010, the Quebec Ministry of Health has financially supported, with a $60,000 scholarship, candidates for the specialized nurse practitioner graduate program.
The government asks these scholarship recipients, once they have graduated, to work three years full time in the public network, failing which they mus
Quebec Nurses Repaying Bursaries After Leaving Public Sector
more than $5.1 million in financial assistance has been reimbursed by nurse practitioners (IPS) in Quebec who have chosen to practise in the private sector.
The program, designed to encourage nurses to work in underserved areas, provides financial aid in exchange for a commitment to work in the public system. Though, some nurses are opting to repay the bursary – in certain specific cases, upwards of $60,000 – to gain the adaptability of private practice.
Jessica Décarie is one such example. Despite receiving financial assistance intended for work in the public sector, she ultimately chose the private sector, prioritizing family considerations over the financial obligation.
Quebec currently has over 2,000 IPS, with the majority working on the front lines of healthcare.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services acknowledges the need to re-evaluate program targets and criteria to ensure it continues to address the evolving needs of the healthcare network.
Quebec Tackles Doctor shortage by Enlisting Nurse practitioners
Quebec is actively working to address a shortage of family doctors by allowing specialist nurse practitioners to register patients who currently lack a primary care physician. This initiative aims to provide access to care for those on waiting lists, with a goal of full affiliation by next summer. There are 10,000 general practitioners currently practicing in Quebec.
During negotiations,doctors emphasized the critical need for increased resources within family medicine groups (GMF),specifically more nurses.Without these resources,doctors fear the initiative is merely a superficial fix. “It’s a hoax…smoke and mirrors to try to make the population believe that people will be affiliated when the government does not promise us more resources,” stated Dr. Marc-André Amyot, president of the Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec.
Since April 2024, specialist nurse practitioners on the front lines have been authorized to register orphan patients through the Family Doctor Access Window.
Currently, nearly 10,250 patients are registered with a specialist nurse practitioner (IPS). This is in contrast to approximately 6 million people who are already registered with a family doctor.