Nurse practitioner explains where they fit in the healthcare system

Today is Nurse Practitioner Day and many people do not know what a nurse practitioner is. 

Christy Seniuk is a nurse practitioner from Ste. Anne who works at the SRSS through Southern Health and Steinbach Family Medical. 

She explains that a nurse practitioner is at a higher level than a registered nurse, as a nurse practitioner takes a master's level program to become a nurse practitioner. 

“We are educated to diagnose, assess, prescribe, investigate, manage illness, basically function in an extended role as compared to a registered nurse.” 

Seniuk has been in practice for 17 years, and says locally, you can find nurse practitioners at Quick Care, which is a nurse practitioner lead clinic, as well as in family practice.

A lot of people have trouble finding doctors when they are sick, and nurse practitioners are a great alternative. 

“I do tell patients that if you think of your family doctor, what they can do, a nurse practitioner is going to function in a very similar way." 

Nurse practitioners have been around for quite a while. 

“In Manitoba, the College of Nursing or it used to be known as the Faculty of Nursing at the UofM, is celebrating its 25 years of educating masters-prepared nurse practitioners.” 

Nurse Practitioner Day was proclaimed by the province of Manitoba 10 years ago today, and Manitoba was the first province to declare this day. 

There's also Nurse Practitioner Week which is celebrated throughout Canada, and this year it takes place from November 12-18. 

There is an association called the Nurse Practitioner Association of Manitoba which is a non profit group of NPs that advocate for the practice of the profession and was formed in 1998.  

To get more information about what nurse practitioners are and where to find them, visit www.nursepractitioner.ca. 

With files from Corny Rempel

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