Nurse practitioner in Slave Lake speaks to why she loves her career
April Boddy is one of seven Nurse Practitioners (NP’s) at the Slave Lake Family Care Clinic. Boddy shares she loves the work she does and the opportunities it provides.
Born and raised in Nova Scotia, she received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from St. Francis Xavier University. It wasn’t until she moved to Alberta that she became interested in continuing her education to become an NP.
“A friend of mine who was a nurse practitioner recommended that I look into it,” says Boddy. “In Nova Scotia I had no exposure to the role of a nurse practitioner, so it was all new to me.”
Boddy continued to expand her career path through Athabasca University and graduated three years later with a master’s degree in nursing. She now works as a nurse practitioner at the Slave Lake Family Care Clinic.
As an NP, Boddy works closely with a variety of health care experts. She supports the local care team, including physicians. She also assesses and diagnoses health problems for her own patients. She orders diagnostic tests and prescribes medications.
“My days are unpredictable,” says Boddy. “One of my appointments could be for caring for twin infant girls who were born prematurely, and the next could be for a skin biopsy. It all depends on what my patients need that day.”
Boddy says one of her favorite things about being a nurse practitioner is that the scope of work can be both general and specific.
“When I moved to Slave Lake, I recognized the need for local IUD (intrauterine device) insertion so I received additional training for that,” says Boddy. “It’s really great to have the knowledge and skills that the people in your community need.”
There are many different learning options and skill sets nurse practitioners can bring to a community.
“The sky is the limit for learning,” says Boddy.
Boddy adds that a nurse practitioner must be humble, flexible and future-oriented.
“It’s a great career for someone who wants to help people and is always open to learning. A person must remain honest and teachable in this field.”
Boddy says she’s looking forward to having more nurse practitioners working in Alberta.
“I really love it. It’s an awesome job and there’s such a need for this care.”
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