Nurse Practitioners in the Interior Health region have been stepping up to the plate, in a bid to ensure every pregnant person in Kamloops has the care they need.

First Steps Clinic Lead Joanna Norman says nurse practitioners have been acting as the interlude between when patients finish at the triage clinic and when they deliver.

“It is not a long-term plan, but it is a short-term plan for the next two to three months at least, but it does mean that people are getting seen,” said First Steps Clinic Lead Joanna Norma

Norman explains the initiative is in place to help relieve capacity issues at the Thompson Region Family Obstetrics Clinic at Royal Inland Hospital.

“Most of our people are still being transferred to the TRFO Clinic at Royal Inland Hospital, but when there is a capacity limit there, some of those people cannot be cared for at that clinic, so they can be picked up now by family practice nurse practitioners.”

It is part of a local initiative between the First Steps Early Pregnancy Clinic, the Thompson Region Family Obstetrics Clinic as well as Interior Health nurse practitioners.

“It is coming from the community, it is also being supported by Interior Health because those nurse practitioners are on contract with Interior Health. The support is coming from the grassroots here in Kamloops,” added Norman.

Due to the partnership, Norman says every pregnant person in Kamloops has antenatal care in the city.

“It’s heartwarming to see how much clinicians care about this issue and want people to have that care going forward.”