Pap Test Clinics Delivered by Nurse Practitioners

The Pap test, or Papanicolaou test, is used to screen for cervical cancer and should be performed every three years for women between the ages of 21 and 70. This is one of the clinical performance indicators in our Multi-Sector Service Accountability Agreements (M-SAAs). In order to improve results for this indicator, nurse practitioners and nurses at the CSCE have set up Pap test clinics, a project based on concepts already implemented and recognized as effective in several clinics, community health centres and family healthcare teams in Ottawa.

Each clinic day allows for approximately 16 clients to be seen for a Pap test. The frequency of these clinics was determined based on the number of providers per site and the target clientele: every two months for the Cornwall site and every three months for the Alexandria, Bourget, Crysler and Limoges sites.

The gynecological exam also helps to diagnose and treat conditions such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), vaginitis, etc. The Pap test clinics, which aim to provide more availability for cervical cancer screening tests at the CSCE, are a proactive way to promote health and prevent the disease from worsening.

  CSCE Annual Report 2020-2021