Document name

Nurse Practitioner

Document number

PRO 52/2017

Nurse Practitioner (NP) means a registered nurse who has met the qualifications for licensure in the NP category in the province of Saskatchewan, as defined by The Registered Nurses Act, 1988.

1. Upon Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) approval, a worker entitled to benefits under The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013 is also entitled to (Section 103):
   1. Any medical aid that may be necessary because of the work-related injury.
   2. Any other treatment by a health care provider.
   3. Any prosthetic or apparatus that may be necessary as a result of the injury, and
   4. Any travel and sustenance costs associated with receiving medical treatment as a result of the injury.
2. The WCB is authorized to determine health care services fees (Section 104).
3. Section 24(3) of The Registered Nurses Act, 1988 provides a general overview of the services NPs are able to provide. For instance, this section allows NPs to:
   1. Order, perform, receive and interpret reports of screening and diagnostic tests;
   2. Prescribe and dispense drugs;
   3. Perform minor surgical and invasive procedures; and
   4. Diagnose and treat common medical disorders.
4. The mandate of the College of Registered Nurses of Saskatchewan (CRNS) and The Registered Nurses Act, 1988 do not provide the CRNS with the authority to sign an agreement or negotiate on behalf of its members. However, the CRNS has agreed to provide advisory and resource services to the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) when required.

1. NPs who hold current licensure with the CRNS and provide services to injured workers can access the following at www.wcbsask.com:
   1. Service Provider Guidelines for NPs.
   2. Fees.
   3. Reporting forms.

The WCB will update these documents as needed.

2. Operations staff will review initial reports (PPI) and progress/discharge reports (PPP) that the WCB receives within the first four weeks post-injury. Operations staff will review reports that the WCB receives after four weeks unless Claims Entitlement retains the file.
3. Operations staff can request the assistance of a Medical Officer (MO) at any time during the review of a claim.
4. If the operations staff finds that the WCB should deny coverage, the file manager will inform the NP. The WCB will only pay for reports submitted prior to the date of notification of disallowance. The WCB will not pay office visit and treatment fees.
5. Medical and Health Care Services (MHCS) will perform ad hoc file reviews to ensure quality assurance.
6. MHCS will issue letters to NPs that do not comply with the practice guidelines for fees. These letters will outline appropriate corrective actions. 
7. Workers can report complaints of any nature to the WCB. The WCB employee receiving the complaint may refer the complaint for resolution to other WCB staff including the Manager of Health Care Services. If the complaint alleges professional incompetence or misconduct by a care provider, the worker will be provided information on how they can contact the CRNS to submit a formal complaint with the service provider’s regulatory body.
8. MCHS will note all complaints and resolutions on the service provider’s accreditation file.