Nurse anesthetists: BC government makes plans for expanded role

B.C. Health Minister Mike de Jong says he’s dead serious about introducing nurse anesthetists into the B.C. health care system. He’s not just using it as a political strong-arm tactic in the heated, ongoing dispute with anesthesiologists.

“This is a matter which has engaged my attention for many months now,” de Jong told me in an interview, “and I will tell you candidly that, confronted by the threat of withdrawal by anesthesiologists, combined with the under-utilization of nurse practitioners, it provoked additional research on my part.

“As a consequence, I am serious about pursuing this,” he said, referring to an expanded role for specialized nurses.

De Jong first brought up the idea a few weeks ago when he told a media scrum at the legislature that the government was “prepared and preparing” to give nurses an expanded scope of practice to act as anesthetists.
 

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