Becoming a nurse practitioner in Northern Saskatchewan

Vanessa Carr (BSN’19, MN-NP’25) has always wanted to work in healthcare and stay in her home community of La Ronge, Saskatchewan.

She was grateful to be able to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from the University of Saskatchewan (USask) at the La Ronge distributed nursing site.

But when she graduated in 2019, she realized there was a great need for more nurse practitioners (NP) in her community.

She decided to return to school to contribute even more.

“My main goal is to become a trusted healthcare provider for the people in my community, to ensure everyone has access to safe, reliable primary care services without having to travel far or feeling uncomfortable seeking help,” said Carr.

She plans to focus on chronic disease management, mental health, and preventive care, with the goal to improve long-term health outcomes for patients in northern Saskatchewan.

From Lac La Ronge Indian Band, a Woodland Cree First Nation, Carr was inspired to go into nursing because she had always seen a lack of Indigenous representation in healthcare. As a new registered nurse, she worked as a homecare nurse, then a sexually transmitted and blood borne infections nurse. That’s where she began to really notice the lack of access to primary care.

“That’s why I chose to go the direction of nurse practitioner, so I can help fill that gap, and hopefully be a role model for other Indigenous nurses to go for nurse practitioner education as well,” said Carr.

With four children under 13, Carr said she appreciated she could do her courses online, especially raising two babies at the time.

Carr has completed her practicums at the La Ronge Medical Clinic and Stanley Mission Health Centre 75 km north of La Ronge, where she was supervised by another NP.

“I spent lots of my childhood visiting Stanley Mission, but providing primary care services there was a new experience,” said Carr.

 “During my practicum, it was incredibly empowering to support a community that has always been a part of my life.”

Carr said USask was a natural choice once she found out she could take the NP program from a distance.

She said she’s glad to be able to contribute to primary care because all her life and especially as a health professional, she’s seen the benefits in rural and remote communities when patients have better access closer to home, as sometimes the travel distances discourage people from seeking care altogether.

“I’m planning to stay in the North for my entire career,” said Carr.

“La Ronge is home. I was born and raised here, and my plan is to stay working close to home, at least, providing care on reserve in this area or at the La Ronge Medical Clinic.”

Carr recently completed her Master of Nursing Nurse Practitioner program and will celebrate convocation November 12.

National Nurse Practitioner Week is celebrated in Canada November 10 to 16. We celebrate and recognize the vital role NPs play in healthcare across Canada.