Healthcare Can't Wait.
Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are helping Alberta address growing demand for primary care, including the more than 700,000 Albertans currently seeking access to a consistent primary care provider.
Nurse Practitioners Are Ready
Through the Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Program, NPs are delivering community-based care that helps improve continuity for patients while reducing pressure on walk-in clinics, urgent care centres, and emergency departments.
Approximately 100,000 Albertans already receive their primary care from a Nurse Practitioner —
demonstrating the important role NPs can play in supporting Alberta’s evolving healthcare
needs.
Growing The Pilot Program.
Since launching in April 2024, Alberta’s NP Primary Care Program has connected approximately 100,000 Albertans with 92 NPs currently practicing under the model.
The program represents an important investment in innovative, team-based approaches to primary care delivery. As discussions continue around the future of healthcare in Alberta, there is an opportunity to build on this momentum and explore sustainable models that support NP practice across community, rural, hospital, home care, and long-term care settings.
The Nurse Practitioners Association of Alberta (NPAA) continues to work collaboratively with
government and healthcare partners to support the ongoing evolution of the program and help
expand access to timely, community-based care for Albertans.
Learn why the NP Primary Care Program makes sense for Albertans.
Quick Facts
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There are currently 92 nurse practitioners in the NP Primary Care Program. Those NPs are caring for approximately 100,000 Albertans.
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Primary care investment and team-based care help reduce pressure on acute care and emergency departments.
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Interest in the program continues to grow, with more than 200 Nurse Practitioners expressing interest in joining as future funding capacity and program evolution allow.
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Post-secondary institutions are reporting significant growth in applications to NP programs, reflecting increasing interest in the profession and its role within Alberta’s healthcare system.
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If the program can expand, Alberta could connect more than 300,000 additional Albertans to nurse practitioners.
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The solution isn’t rebuilding the system from scratch, but fully empowering and unlocking NPs’ ability to improve and expand access to care across the province.
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Nurse Practitioners have been providing care to Albertans since the 1960s. The NP Primary Care Program removes a significant funding barrier to implementing this essential workforce.
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