Nurse practitioners and registered nurses will be allowed to perform new duties next year.
The Ministry of Health is allowing them to apply pacemakers, treat skin conditions and use a defibrillator.
They already have the power to prescribe certain medications.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones says expanding their scope of practice will improve patient access to care, especially in rural, remote and northern Ontario communities.
Jones says the province consulted with the College of Nurses of Ontario and other healthcare partners to determine what procedures and practices could be applied to nurses and nurse practitioners.
“Expanding the roles of highly skilled nurse practitioners and registered nurses is another step our government is taking to provide more people with the right care in the right place,” says Jones.
