NORTH WELLINGTON – Patients and visitors to the emergency departments at Palmerston and District Hospital or Louise Marshall Hospital may be met with the kind faces of Erin Kee Lindsay and Valerie Droog.
They’re not doctors and they’re not registered nurses, but they’re something in between.
They are North Wellington Health Care’s first and only nurse practitioners, and they’re helping to ease the burden on busy emergency departments and improve overall patient care.
“It’s pretty exciting. I think nurse practitioners in emergency departments, especially in rural areas, are very important,” said Droog, who works at Louise Marshall Hospital in Mount Forest and has been a nurse for about 20 years.
But what is a nurse practitioner?
Emergency help – Nurse practitioner Valerie Droog works in the emergency department at Louise Marshall Hospital.
Submitted photos
They are registered nurses who have additional education and nursing experience, enabling them to diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret medical tests, prescribe medication and perform some medical procedures.
Nurse practitioners began practicing in Canada in the 1960s to provide care in rural or remote areas of the country. However, by the 1970s interest in the job had increased and more educational programming became available.
By 2021 there were an estimated 7,400 nurse practitioners in Canada and it is one of the fastest growing health care professions, according to the Canadian Nurses Association. An estimated three million Canadians have received care from a nurse practitioner.
They work in a wide range of settings, including community clinics and physicians’ offices, long-term care homes, emergency departments and outpatient clinics.
They require at least six years of academic training plus clinical experience to qualify.
The Canadian Nurses Association says nurse practitioners provide numerous benefits to the health care system, including involving more patients in health care decisions, improving access to primary health care, reducing pressure on emergency physicians and providing high-quality care to manage chronic illnesses such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Emergency help – Nurse practitioner Erin Kee Lindsay works in the emergency department at Palmerston and District Hospital.
Submitted photos
Research has found nurse practitioners can help lower emergency department admissions from long-term care by as much as 20 per cent, and provide a 24% increase in family satisfaction with quality of care.
They work with other health care providers and are part of a collaborative team that includes registered nurses, doctors and social workers.
While seeing a nurse practitioner you can still see your family doctor or other health care provider.
“The physicians have been really supportive of the role and have been a great resource,” said Lindsay, who was a registered nurse for 15 years before becoming a nurse practitioner in 2023.
“Every day is different.”
Angela Stanley, president and CEO of the Wellington Health Care Alliance, which includes North Wellington Health Care, said nurse practitioners help “improve the overall patient experience and their stories go beyond professional advancement.”
She added, “They embody a deep commitment to rural health care.”
