Sudbury Northern Life
Thousands more patients will now have access to primary health care in the north, thanks to Laurentian University’s latest graduating nurse practitioner (NP) class.
The university’s school of nursing recently held a ceremony congratulating the 11 newest graduates of the NP program.
This is great news for "orphan" patients, or those without a family doctor, in the Sudbury area, a press release stated.
Offered via distance education, the NP program attracts nurses from across northeastern Ontario, each of whom is excited about the opportunity to care for patients in their own communities, the press release stated.
Nurses qualifying for the NP program have a university nursing degree, years of relevant professional experience and meet the requirements for previous academic achievement. Each graduate from a nurse practitioner education program must then pass a grueling licensing exam in order to practice as an NP.
“Nurse practitioners order laboratory tests, diagnose illnesses and prescribe medication and treatments, independently,” said Marilyn Butcher, nurse practitioner and clinic director of the Sudbury District Nurse Practitioner Clinics.
“NPs also practice with a team approach, which means they consult with a variety of health care providers. Among these are physicians, pharmacists, social workers, midwives and more, ensuring that the individual and family receive the best possible care.”
All 11 graduates from the 2008 class have employment as nurse practitioners.
Jennifer Clement, originally from McKerrow, has accepted a position with the Sudbury District Nurse Practitioner Clinics. Making history as the first NP-led clinic in Canada, its impact on access to care is significant in that only orphan patients are accepted.
For more information about the Sudbury District Nurse Practitioner Clinics services see www.sdnpc.ca.
