Patients' Access to Care During COVID-19 and the Role of Nurse Practitioners in Australia.

Currie, Jane

The anxiety piqued by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has motivated health planners to consider all options in attempting to ensure the delivery of effective health care. The response to the early stage of the pandemic offered both opportunity and hope for the removal of historic barriers to the effective utilisation of nurse practitioner (NP) services in Australia. This column discusses the utilisation of NP services to improve access to care during the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlights the failures to optimise their impact. The intent of introducing the NP role into Australia 20 years ago was to enhance the flexibility of the workforce by expanding and increasing access to health services, particularly for underserved populations. Since implementation, NP services have been plagued by resistance from the medical profession in Australia and constrained by policy and legislation.