BIRCH NARROWS, Sask. — With just days left in her clinical practicum, Lyndsay Morin is exactly where she wants to be: caring for patients in a northern Saskatchewan primary care clinic.
As a registered nurse, she is completing the final practicum hours required for the Additional Authorized Practice (AAP) designation so that she can assess, diagnose, treat and prescribe medications within her scope of practice at the Birch Narrows Primary Care Clinic, a northern Dene community.
The Buffalo Narrows resident enrolled in Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s AAP continuing education offering after hearing about it from fellow nurses working in primary care. Looking for a new challenge and a chance to expand her skills, she saw the program as a natural next step in her professional journey.
“It has given me additional skills and really makes me think outside the box,” says Morin. “It’s a challenging position, but I really like it.”
The role is a significant change from the hospital setting where she spent nearly two decades.
“AAP gives nurses an opportunity to take on new responsibilities,” says Shelley Giebel, AAP instructor and nurse practitioner. “It was initially developed to give patients more continuity of care closer to home by supporting communities where physicians and nurse practitioners aren’t always available.”
Designed for registered nurses, the three-course series includes studies in health assessment, clinical drug therapy and clinical decision-making followed by 200 hours of supervised clinical practice. The courses are online and asynchronous so students can progress through coursework at their own pace. Sask Polytech is the only post-secondary institution in Saskatchewan offering AAP training. The series is offered through Sask Polytech’s Centre for Continuing Education, delivered by the Leslie and Irene Dubé School of Nursing and approved by the College of Registered Nurses of Saskatchewan (CRNS).
After researching continuing education options, Morin found Sask Polytech’s online delivery made it possible to continue working while pursuing additional training. The self-paced format allowed her to fit coursework around work and other commitments. She was even able to pause her studies for a planned summer vacation.
“Because it’s self-paced, you can pick and choose your days,” Morin says. “If you want to sit down for three days straight you can. You have that flexibility which works well.”
The career transition has given her greater work-life balance, too. Instead of rotating day, evening and night shifts in a hospital setting, she now works mostly daytime hours in primary care. After years of shift work, the more predictable schedule has been a welcome change.
No two days look the same in the clinic. Morin may assess patients, review test results, prescribe medications within her scope of practice or determine when a patient needs to be referred to a physician.
“AAP is a great way to further your education without committing to full-time studies,” says Morin. “I’ve always been interested in becoming a nurse practitioner. This experience is giving me a better understanding of that role too.”
The hands-on clinical component played a major role in helping her develop confidence.
“The clinical experience has been essential,” says Morin. “I’m a hands-on learner. Working with nurse practitioners, using what I learned from the other courses and trusting my instincts in prescribing and treating people helped strengthen my clinical judgment.”
Giebel says Morin’s extensive emergency nursing experience provided a strong foundation. According to feedback from her preceptors, that experience has helped her transition successfully into primary care.
After completing 200 hours of supervised clinical practice and fulfilling the course requirements, she will take the final steps toward obtaining her AAP designation through the CRNS.
After her practicum, she will continue working full-time at the primary care clinic in Birch Narrows. As an Indigenous registered nurse working in an Indigenous community, she believes shared experiences help patients feel more comfortable seeking care.
“I always want to be an advocate,” Morin says. “I want to make sure people get the proper health care they need.”
Learn more about Additional Authorized Practice courses at Sask Polytech.
— Submitted by Sask. Polytech Media Relations
