Osborne asks health authorities to recruit more nurse practitioners

Newfoundland and Labrador’s health minister has directed the province’s regional health authorities to recruit more nurse practitioners for primary health care, especially in rural areas, but can’t say exactly how many the province needs — or, given the Canada-wide shortage of nurses, where they’ll come from.

Tom Osborne said Tuesday morning the province wants to create nurse practitioner-led health clinics and employ them at the 35 collaborative health clinics they’re aiming to start up over the next five years.