Held at the Ingram School of Nursing (ISoN) on May 28th, our Sip, Sip, Hurray reception honoured our convocation prize winners as well as the first graduating cohort of the Adult Care Concentration of the Nurse Practitioner Program. Launched in the fall of 2021, the Adult Care Concentration offers comprehensive theoretical and clinical training in the care of individuals aged 14 and over with complex, acute, chronic or critical care issues. As noted by Associate Dean and ISoN Director Anita Gagnon, RN, PHD, at the reception, 鈥淯sing a nursing lens, Adult Care Nurse Practitioners consider the impacts of illness on the whole person and the family, and help to identify strengths and resources that enable optimal conditions for health and healing.鈥�
With the addition of the Adult Care concentration, the ISoN became the first 鈥� and, to the best of our knowledge, only 鈥� nursing school in Quebec to offer all five NP concentrations, including Primary Care, Neonatal, Pediatrics and Mental Health.
As advanced practice nurses with graduate nursing preparation and specialized nursing knowledge and expertise, NPS can perform eight additional reserved activities including diagnosing illnesses, prescribing medications and diagnostic tests, determining medical treatment plans, using invasive medical techniques or treatments, and providing pregnancy care. They work autonomously in the context of interprofessional collaboration with physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals, serving as educators who advocate for their patients, and taking leading roles in optimizing our healthcare system through research and policy development.
Speaking on behalf of the first graduating Adult Care cohort, newly minted Nurse Practitioner Lori Rousseau expressed profound gratitude to her peers, to the program鈥檚 educators, and to the ISoN. 鈥淥ur time in this program has taught us invaluable lessons, some of which came as surprises. We were reminded about how fundamental empathy and compassion are in caring for patients and their families. We re-discovered the power of teamwork, realizing that our peers can often become our greatest allies and sources of strength. We also learned the importance of being able to adapt to unexpected situations.鈥�
In particular, she praised Nurse Director Shannon McNamara, and Assistant Nurse Director Sheena Heslip for serving as educators, role models and mentors who challenged students to think critically and creatively at every turn. She concluded her remarks with these inspirational words, 鈥淎s we step back into the challengingly beautiful world of healthcare in our new roles, let us carry forward the knowledge, skills, and values we have gained along the way. Let us hold closely the memories we have made, the lessons we have learned, and the people who have shaped our journey. Together, I truly believe we can have a profound impact on our healthcare system.鈥�