FIQ deplores the fact that Christian Dubé is brandishing SNPs as ‘substitutes for doctors’

The FIQ is surprised that Health Minister Christian Dubé is presenting specialized nurse practitioners (SNPs) as a solution to the setbacks of his special law on physician remuneration, given that Quebec recently reduced the target number of SNP positions.

This means that some graduating SNPs currently lack positions to work in. The Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ) states that this is particularly the case in Montérégie and Montreal, where several SNPs with mental health degrees will not have positions this year.

The union sees a contradiction between the minister’s words and his actions. “The government concluded negotiations with physicians and adopted Bill 2, but yesterday, Christian Dubé began to say in his speech that SNPs will be there to provide front-line care for patients,” reports Jérôme Rousseau, Vice-President of Work Organization, Professional Practice, and Negotiations at the FIQ.

He indicates that at the start of the school year, some SNPs learned that they will complete their courses in the coming weeks without a position at the end of their training.

The FIQ is certainly pleased that Dubé recognizes the importance of SNPs—also known as super nurses. However, the federation reiterates that they are not “substitutes for doctors” and that they have their own expertise.

Minister Dubé “improvising”

“Beyond the law itself, which risks having an impact on the healthcare system with the reaction of the medical community—that’s one thing—what worried us most was Dubé’s remarks in the last few hours, with his speech highlighting the omnipresence of the SNP solution. It gives the impression that he’s improvising,” comments Rousseau.

In a press release, FIQ President Julie Bouchard emphasized that SNPs “are not there to fill temporary gaps” and that “their expertise must be respected.”

Rousseau maintains that these nurses, who can make diagnoses, prescribe treatments, and provide medical follow-ups, perform work complementary to that of physicians, particularly on the front lines, but they can also have other specific roles, such as in mental health.

The expanded role of nurses is the future of the healthcare system, believes the Vice-President. “The future in Quebec is collective care. We must ensure that the professionals who see patients, particularly SNPs and physicians, work closely together to then be able to refer patients to the right services and specialized resources,” he said.

He says he hopes to be convened soon by the Ministry or Santé Québec “to have frank discussions on the role of IPSs.” He adds that the FIQ has “been raising its hand for a long time” to collaborate with the minister and “make the role of SNPs even more effective.”

“If Minister Dubé truly has this commitment in his speech, the FIQ will be there, and we’re thinking with the same goal in mind,” he concludes.

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–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews