Nurse Practitioner - NPLC Clinic

• Who we are:
• Canadian Mental Health Association Durham is an integrated community mental health and
• primary care hub that has been providing mental health services to Durham Region for over 60
• years.
• During that time, it has evolved to provide a broad range of services to individuals and their
• families experiencing mental health challenges, from information and education to case
• management, psychosocial rehabilitation, housing and primary healthcare. These services are
• provided through inter-professional teams focused on providing clinically based services that, in
• addition to dealing with client mental health issues, address social determinants of health using
• the recovery model.

• Overview of the role: The Nurse Practitioner provides services to clients who include the
• individual throughout their lifespan, the family, and the community, with strong emphasis on
• health promotion, patient education and disease prevention.

Responsibilities:

• Assessment
• •Working within the scope of practice of the RN (EC), performs a comprehensive health or
• symptom directed assessment synthesizes data from multiple sources to make diagnosis, as
• part of the health care team
• •Spend adequate time with the client to determine the presence of existing and potential
• health problems, with a major focus on related lifestyle, psychological, sociocultural, and
• environmental risk factors which may influence the client’s health status, deals with these
• personally or by referral to or in consultation with, other health care providers and
• agencies/services
• •In accordance with the philosophy of primary health care, encourages clients and families to
• take responsibility for their own health by involving them in risk factor and health problem
• identification, goal setting, and the choices of interventions for disease treatment and
• prevention, health promotion
• •Works collaboratively and in consultation with the collaborating physicians and specialists as
• defined in the RN(EC) scope of practice “Expectation for consultation with physicians”
• •Works within medical directives as established and approved by CMHA Durham and the
• collaborating physician
• •Determine the need for and orders from an approved list and interprets the results of
• screening and diagnostic laboratory tests, within the scope of practice
• •Determines the need for and orders and interprets reports of diagnostic Imaging within the
• scope of RN(EC) practice
• •Keeps complete, accurate, legible and timely records of client’s visits, which will provide
• information to assist other practitioners in continuing the client’s care
• •Sees clients at the clinic with scheduled and urgent appointments, and in the community
• through home visits, during regular and extended hours

• Treatment
• •Provides advances nursing care and treatment (including pharmacological complementary
• therapies and/or counselling interventions for health problem) Nurse Practitioner, NPLC 2
• •Monitors the ongoing therapy of clients with chronic stable illness by providing effective
• pharmacological, complementary, or counselling interventions
• •Prescribe drugs included in the Schedules of the Regulations to treat diseases or disorders
• within the RN(EC) scope of practice
• •Collaboration with physicians, independently and with other allied health to develop and
• discuss appropriate individualized care plans with client/family caregiver based on best
• practices
• •Documents using client health records, refers to and arranges follow-up as necessary
• •Implements strategies to foster independent and healthy lifestyles with the chronically ill
• medical population
• •Synthesizes information from individual clients to identify broader implications within the
• family
• •Assesses and manages the care of families, in collaboration with team members
• •Uses community assessment data to identify community needs and resources and develops,
• implements and evaluates appropriate programming
• •Ensures that encounter forms and other statistics have been recorded and participates in
• their analysis
• •Involves and encourages clients in decisions and actions about their own health
• •Initiate and develops health education and other activities that assist, promote and support
• clients as they strive to achieve the highest level of health
• •Delivers health education program for patients and communities
• •Implements strategies to promote health and prevent disease for both primary and secondary
• prevention
• •Advocates for services with clients

• Organizational Role
• •Maintaining current knowledge of policy manuals, reading minutes of meetings and keeping
• up to date with organizational happenings
• •Contributing to the efficient functioning of the organization and the attainment of goals
• •Basing practice on sound theoretical knowledge and best practices
• •Arranging priorities as necessary to perform tasks
• •Knowing established work and administrative procedures

• Risk Management
• •Minimizes risks adhering to CMHA Durham policies and procedures identifying, assessing,
• evaluating and controlling risks ensuring well-being of staff and clients

• Skills you bring:
• Council of Ontario University Program in Nursing Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner
• Program Certificate (or recognized equivalent) in good standing
• •Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• •Master in nursing or health-related field required
• •Current registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario as an RN(EC) required
• •Current Membership with the RNAO and evidence of liability insurance Nurse Practitioner,
• NPLC 3
• •Liability protection or liability insurance required (CNPS)
• •Satisfactory criminal reference check
• •Strong written and verbal communication skills
• •Intermediate proficiency in written and verbal French is an asset
• •Proficient in use of internet, Microsoft software, drug database programs
• •Current Ontario Driver’s License • Experience with electronic medical records system is an
• asset
• •Sound knowledge of the Mental Health Act, Health Care Consent Act, and other related
• legislation in Ontario is an asset
• •Sound knowledge of psychotropic medications including usage and potential side effects
• •Ability to manage a system of medication checks ensuring accuracy
• •Ability to develop and maintain positive relationships clients, community, partners and
• represent the agency in a professional manner at all times
• •Excellent communication (written and verbal) skills and ability to formally present information
• to individuals or groups in order to develop, implement and monitor nursing care plans and
• attend meetings
• •Ability to resolve complex client problems in order to ensure a high standard of nursing
• service
• •Excellent assessment and organizational skills
• •Ability to work with individuals of diverse backgrounds
• •Flexibility to adapt to change and support any function required within the clinic (i.e.
• injections, phlebotomy, administrative support)
• •Ability to work independently when necessary
• •Ability to think critically and creatively
• •Ability to make accurate nursing assessments and implement best practices
• •Ability to minimize risks adhering to established policies and procedures
• •Ability to participate as a member of a high performance multi-disciplinary team
• •Knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook), internet
• •Working within the scope of practice of the RN (EC), performs a comprehensive health or
• symptom directed assessment synthesizes data from multiple sources to make diagnosis, as
• part of the health care team
• •Spend adequate time with the client to determine the presence of existing and potential
• health problems, with a major focus on related lifestyle, psychological, sociocultural, and
• environmental risk factors which may influence the client’s health status, deals with these
• personally or by referral to or in consultation with, other health care providers and
• agencies/services
• •In accordance with the philosophy of primary health care, encourages clients and families to
• take responsibility for their