To address the growing need for health-care professionals across Manitoba, the College of Nursing at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences is doubling the annual intake of its graduate-level nurse practitioner (NP) program from 25 to 50 this year.
Cheryl Olfert, senior instructor in the NP program, says over 150,000 Manitobans don’t have a primary care provider, and that this role is increasingly being filled by NPs, who also work independently across several health services, including community, long-term and urgent care.
“NPs have an extended scope of practice. We can prescribe medications, order diagnostics tests, do consults and referrals,” Olfert said.
“The NP role has grown over the years. Being part of the program, I’m able to support nurses as they learn and develop into the role. It is exciting to see them flourish and transition into providing advanced care.”
Olfert said the need for NPs is particularly strong in rural and remote communities, and the college is now offering an online version of the program for its winter intake to encourage participation from qualified candidates from across the province.
“We’re realigning the existing curriculum to take that next step of accessibility. There will still be labs and skills that need to be taught in-person, but the majority of the coursework will be online. Students can be in Churchill, for example, and still access the program,” she said.
“They’ll also do their placements close to their community or right in their community, if possible, so they’re not having to commute to Winnipeg.”
Erin Ryback is a second-year student currently in her final clinical rotation. She lives in Brandon, Man. and has worked as a nurse for over 16 years. She said she was drawn to the NP program to help with the shortage of primary care providers in rural Manitoba.
“Living here, I can see the need,” Ryback said. “Most recently I worked with a lot of newcomers to Canada and people that are underhoused and underserved, and I just thought with all the experience I had that I could offer more.”
Ryback said one of the highlights of the program was the support she received from her instructors, who she felt treated her like an equal.
“From day one, I felt very respected by the instructors, the director and everyone involved at the university. They really valued everything that I brought to the program as a person that has expertise in certain areas of health care,” she said.
Jaypee Benitez Buhisan is also set to graduate from the program this summer, with the goal of working in a primary care setting.
He moved to Winnipeg in 2012 from the Philippines, where he worked as a nurse educator in clinical and classroom settings. He worked clinically in Winnipeg for a few years, but was inspired to enroll in the NP program after working in a Winnipeg hospital’s intensive care unit during the COVID pandemic.
“That experience made me reflect deeply on the importance of not only providing critical reactive care, but also strengthening proactive preventative care,” Buhisan said. “I realized then that primary care, where the focus is on health promotion and disease prevention, is an area of health care that needs more support, so becoming a nurse practitioner felt like the right path to help bridge that gap and make a greater impact on community health.”
He said the NP program reinforces and elevates the holistic approach to care that is central to nursing.
“The program builds on the foundational knowledge and skills we gained during our undergraduate education, along with the clinical experience we have developed over years in acute care settings.”
The NP program, which was established in 1998, is one of four streams offered in the college’s master’s program and is offered both full and part time. The other streams are education, leadership and clinical streams. The application deadline for the January intake is July 1. Applicants must have a valid Manitoba nursing license and have a minimum of two years or equivalent full-time practice.
See information on career opportunities in the NP program for instructor and tenure track positions:
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