Debates of February 10, 2006 (day 27)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, we have 15 nurses currently in the Nurse Practitioner Program. It’s being done in conjunction with the University of Victoria. The intention is not to take away any resources but to train them better. The intent in what we are doing is adding positions that are going to be staffed at the nurse practitioner level. They will be incorporated fully into the operation of the community of health centre where they will be working. As with the other program that we do, we are looking at ways of improving this. Eventually we are going to move, over time, to a master’s program, which it isn’t right now. It’s a certificate program, but we intend to do that.

We are pleased with the number of nurses in the program and the budget contains money, as well, for nurse practitioners, two to be added to Inuvik for regional travel; two to be added to the Sahtu; two to the Deh Cho; two to the Tlicho; and two to Yellowknife to give better service. So we are fully committed to this particular initiative. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate that information. I think the important thing that the Minister and we all need to keep in mind in dealing with health care professionals, especially nurses, is that while working to bring professionals like nurse practitioners and we are training them, they have a unique role to play in the whole health care delivery system, but we need to make sure that we are increasing the human resource capacity and not replacing one with another, with an end effect that we end up with the same load. That’s not going to address the need for nurses and health care professionals that we are trying to get.

A case in point, Madam Chair, is that I am hearing murmurs that in Stanton -- and the Minister indicated this yesterday and the DM commented -- they say they are willing and able and prepared to hire all the new nurses who are coming up, which is a great thing, because that’s what the Minister has been planning for and we are looking at that as an avenue for increasing our nurse workforce. What I also heard was a lot of positions are being left vacant to have room ready for the new grads. There is an implication to that because what we are trying to get at is to make sure that these newly graduated nurses get into the system and then add to the whole, but they will be the ones who are starting at the beginning. We are still going to need a pool of nurses with varying degrees of skill set and years of practice, so we have a complete spectrum of nursing and health care provider service that we need.

I just want to ask the Minister to be mindful of that. In fact, I would like to get some reports back from the Minister as to what the projected makeup is of the nurses and allied health care providers spectrum. What are we looking at for a workforce? How many positions are we looking at in each region? What is the expected new nursing grads expected to come in and the new nurse practitioners? How does that address our nursing needs and health care? Maybe we could do the same for other allied health care professionals, so we can have a clear picture of what we are dealing with in terms of needs. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Could I get the Minister to make a commitment on that?

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I would just like to clarify a number of issues. There was the equivalent of 14 positions a number of years ago put into Stanton that were to be held as supernumeracy positions, as the deputy minister characterized them yesterday, so that new graduating students and those on preceptorships and requiring mentoring would have those positions without taking away from on-the-floor nurses. So very clearly, we have tried to allow for that fact. I just want to repeat, we are not just better training the staff we have, these are all new positions that we are adding; a total of 17.5 for 2006-07 in terms of nurse practitioners across the Northwest Territories. Those are all new positions. We haven’t taken those people out of the field.

I would just need some clarification. The Member listed off a lengthy string of information. She would like to know the current staffing of every facility we have, as well as all the new positions we are planning that are laid out in the budget. Is that correct?

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Let me zero in on the question I have here. I want to know the manpower or womanpower requirement for essential health care services, nursing and allied health care workers, nurses, doctors, therapists, rehab teams. I just want to get a picture of what needs we have for the next few years to implement all the initiatives the Minister is talking about. What do we have in place now? That would include new nurses coming out, nurse practitioners. What is our outstanding need for this workforce and what does the Minister plan to do to fill them? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am assuming that universal numbers are going to be sufficient. We can give to the Member the number of allied health professionals, as well as doctors and nurses and such that we currently have on staff, or that we are funded for, as well as lay out from this budget what is currently before this House for 2006-2007.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. With 25 seconds left on the clock, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think that’s a good restatement of what I was looking for on the part of the Minister. I would like, at this time, to make a motion to report progress.

Thank you. There is a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order. It’s not debatable. All those in favour of the motion? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

Thank you, Mr. St. Germaine, Mr. Murray, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 18, Appropriation Act, 2006-2007, and would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Is there a seconder for the motion? The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Third reading of bills. Before we go on to orders of the day, colleagues, I would just like to acknowledge the Pages we had working for us this week. Earlier this week, we had Pages from Mildred Hall School and, as of late, we’ve had students from William McDonald and students from Monfwi. I would especially like to thank two members from Diamond Jenness School in Hay River and constituents of mine, Kenny McBryan and Nelson Bassett.

---Applause

I would like to thank all the Pages for doing an excellent job for us this week.

---Applause

Orders of the day for Monday, February 13, 2006, at 11:00 a.m.:

Prayer

Ministers' Statements

Members' Statements

Returns to Oral Questions

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Oral Questions

Written Questions

Returns to Written Questions

Petitions

Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills

Tabling of Documents

Notices of Motion

Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills

First Reading of Bills

- Bill 19, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3,

2005-2006

Second Reading of Bills

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

- Bill 18, Appropriation Act, 2006-2007

- Committee Report 5-15(4), Standing Committee on

Accountability and Oversight Report on the 2006-

2007 Pre-Budget Review Process

- Committee Report 6-15(4), Standing Committee on

Governance and Economic Development Report

on the 2006-2007 Pre-Budget Review Process

- Committee Report 7-15(4), Standing Committee on

Social Programs Report on the 2006-2007 Pre-

Budget Review Process

Report of Committee of the Whole

Third Reading of Bills

Orders of the Day

Thank you, Mr. Ouellette. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Monday, February 13, 2006, at 11:00 a.m.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 14:01 p.m.