The Nurses Act was amended in July 2002 to enable the practice of nurse practitioners (NP) in New Brunswick. The NP performs activities that are beyond the scope of practice of a registered nurse, such as diagnosing and prescribing interventions.
Nurse practitioners, as autonomous health professionals with advanced education, provide essential health services grounded in professional, ethical and legal standards. They integrate their in-depth knowledge of advanced nursing practice and theory, health management, health promotion and disease/injury prevention, and other relevant biomedical and psychosocial theories to provide comprehensive health services. Nurse practitioners work in collaboration with their clients and other health care providers in the provision of high quality patient-centred care. They work with diverse client populations, in a variety of contexts and practice settings.
Nurse Practitioners in New Brunswick- Primary Health Care NPs (Brochure)
NPs are accountable for practicing in accordance with all NANB Standards, including those specific to NP practice. The Entry-Level Competencies for Nurse Practitioners and Standards for the Practice of Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioners focus on the responsibilities in nurse practitioner practice which require additional regulation by NANB.
The NP Schedules for Ordering outline the screening and diagnostic tests that may be ordered and interpreted, the drugs that may be prescribed and the forms of energy that may be ordered by the NP. These schedules are established through recommendations of the Nurse Practitioner Therapeutics Committee (NPTC) and approved by the NANB Board of Directors and the Minister of Health.
The schedules are located in the Standards for the Practice of Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioners, Appendix 2
Since December 2018, NPs are authorized to order medical cannabis. For further guidance and links to evidence-informed resources, please refer to the document Practice Guideline for Nurse Practitioners Authorizing Medical Cannabis.
There are key points to consider when prescribing controlled drugs and substances. NPs are encouraged to review this information in our Fact Sheet: Legal Considerations When Prescribing Controlled Drugs.
NPs in New Brunswick are authorized to prescribe methadone. Methadone prescribing is considered a post-entry level competency and as such NPs who engage in this practice are accountable to attain and maintain the necessary knowledge and skill to practice competently, safely and ethically. For further information, please refer to the Fact Sheet: Nurse Practitioners (NPs) Prescribing Methadone.
The prescription of drugs found on Schedule “C” of the NANB document Nurse Practitioner Schedules for Ordering may be subjected to a Special Authorization process for payment purposes. See the New Brunswick Prescription Drug Program (NBPDP) Formulary.
The Government of Canada offers information on how to check the legitimacy of an online pharmacy and how to report a fraudulent online pharmacy.
If you would like more information or would like to become a member of the Nurse Practitioners of New Brunswick visit www.npnb.ca/
The Nurse Practitioner Regulation Framework Implementation Plan Project (NPR-FIPP) is a multi-year, multi-faceted initiative commissioned by the Canadian Council of Registered Nurse Regulators (CCRNR). This information can also be found on the Canadian Council of Registered Nurse Regulation (CCRNR) webpage.
NP Regulatory Framework Implementation Plan Project- Background Information (July 2020)
For any questions or comments, please visit the project website.
Project News
NANB Headquarters are located in Fredericton, New Brunswick. We encourage members and the public to contact us in person, by mail, phone or email at any time.
If you wish to contact a member of the Board of Directors or Chapter Presidents, please do so through the Association.
Patient Connect NB is a provincially managed, bilingual patient registry for New Brunswickers without access to a primary health care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner). New Brunswickers without a provider can register with Patient Connect NB and will be assigned to a provider on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The Nurses Association of New Brunswick does not assume liability, implied or explicit, for errors or omissions in the information contained on this web site.
