At Winterberry we celebrate our team everyday and once a month we shine our spotlight on an individual so our community and patients can get to know them better. This month our Team Showcase features Emily, an RN who is pursuing additional training to become a Nurse Practitioner.
Emily, we’re so glad to be featuring you! Tell us about your role at Winterberry.
I am a Registered Nurse (RN) and an on-boarding trainer.
What type of work do you do in your current daily work?
As an RN, my days look very similar to the rest of the nursing team! We complete preventative screens, blood pressure, vaccinations, discuss or arrange bloodwork/ imaging results, Well baby check, prenatal cares, Pap smears, ear flushes, wart treatments, and so much more! In addition, I also have skills in IUD insertions and removals, Fibroscans, and MoCa screenings.
As an on-boarding trainer my role is to train new nurses coming to join our team here at Winterberry. I help ensure our new staff feels comfortable and are well equipped with all the information they need to manage patient appointments at the end of their training.
We understand that you are now entering into the Nurse Practitioner (NP) program. This is fantastic news! What made you make this decision?
At Winterberry, we function under a team base model. This means that Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Doctors and Physician Assistants are collaboratively working together to provide high quality patient centered care while also bringing accessibility to care. This type of model allows me to work collaboratively with nurse practitioners daily.
My motivation to go into the nurse practitioner program came from my witnessing of the significant impact they have had in our healthcare system. At Winterberry our nurse practitioners have helped alleviate stress on the healthcare system through improving accessibility of care with the focus of primary and preventative care. I personally wanted to join in and also make an impact !
What will the additional NP training look like? Will you be in class full time?
The Nurse Practitioner program is a two-year program which I will be taking full-time. It’s a graduate level study so the first year will focus on completing a masters in nursing while the second year focuses on learning assessment/ therapeutic skills with hands-on clinical practice.
What made you interested in nursing in the first place?
I wanted to become a nurse for several reasons. It was important for me to choose a career that would allow me to serve and care for others but also educate and empower people at the same time. Being a nurse allows for all of that. As a nurse, I have the privilege to care for people in a meaningful way. In addition, I also get to partner with patients in their health journey, whether that’s through educating, encouraging, empowering, being an ally or just listening .
These are my favourite parts of being in healthcare!
What made you want to be part of the Winterberry team compared to other clinics?
What made me want to be part of the Winterberry team is the team base model of care. With this nurses are recognized as a valuable part of the team.
Other family doctors tend to work with a different model of care. You may traditionally see the nurses just do blood pressures, collect a set of vitals and help prep the doctor for the appointment. At Winterberry nurses are able to do more!
At Winterberry, nurses practice at their full scope and are given advanced directives that allow them to work with some autonomy while still closely working and reporting to the nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and doctors. This means I can independently do appointments within my scope of practice and set of skills and report appropriately to the providers as needed.
Is there an average day? If yes, what does it look like?
There is an average week, but not an average day! Every day looks different as there’s varying responsibilities for the nurses in Winterberry.
Each nurse has a different weekly schedule. For example a nurses schedule could like this:
Monday: in office appointment
Tuesday: Virtual preventative health exams
Wednesday: Phone nurse
Thursday: Procedures appointment (IGT)
Friday: In office appointment
But another nurse’s schedule would have the same responsibilities but arranged differently throughout the week.
When you’re not at Winterberry what will we find you doing?
When I’m not in Winterberry, I like to spend time with my friends and family! Whether that’s just hanging out at home or going away for the weekend. I also enjoy staying active, primarily through sports such as soccer or basketball.
