Re: Nurse practitioners provide quality care (Letters, June 13)
I strongly support the role of nurse practitioners, as described by Rita Schreiber.
The NP at the clinic I attend is clearly equal in her knowledge and most skills to the MDs. She has often supported me back to wellness with advice and treatment that was not offered by my physician, partly due to time constraints, as most have only time to attend to ‘one ailment’ per visit.
The nurse practitioner has taken more time and assisted with problem solving and alternatives.
We need more nurse practitioners, as they are valuable and cost-saving members of the health-care team.
Some doctors just have to get over resistance to their presence and enlist them, especially in a clinic practice where their skills could solve the problem of ‘waiting time’ for appointments.
Judith Hodgson
Victoria
