Gratitude and support for nurse practitioner arriving from the West Coast of Canada to Middleton, Nova Scotia
Less than one month into her new role as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) at the Kings and Annapolis Primary Care Clinic in Middleton, Nova Scotia, Hannah Snow is overwhelmed by the welcoming, supportive environment from colleagues and gratitude from patients.
“I’ve been extremely supported throughout the transition process. Everyone at the clinic has been so helpful and welcoming as I become oriented—not just as a new grad—but a new grad moving from out-of-province.”
Originally from Berwick, Nova Scotia, Snow wanted to explore British Columbia and moved there seven years ago after receiving her nursing degree from ST. FX University.
During her time on the west coast, she worked as a registered nurse in general medicine, critical care and interventional radiology before completing the NP program at University of British Columbia.
“My partner and I thought we’d stay in B.C. a bit longer but when we sat down and talked about it, we really just wanted to move home to be closer to family and have a more affordable lifestyle,” said Snow.
Once they decided they wanted to move back to Nova Scotia, Snow saw the posting for the NP role in Middleton, applied right away and had an interview set up the following week.
“I was pretty blown away by how seamless and easy that process was,” she said. “I was hired within two weeks of applying.”
Since returning to Nova Scotia as a new graduate, Snow is part of the team that provides primary health care services to people who don’t have a family practice.
“Often there's just a lot of gratitude expressed by patients to simply have someone to follow up on health concerns like their blood pressure and diabetes,” said Snow. “Being able to provide that care has been really fulfilling.”
Patients from Bridgetown to Aylesford who do not have a primary care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner) can book an appointment at the Primary Care Clinic by calling 1-866-400-0060 Monday to Friday.
“It's a great model of care that serves the needs of this community really well,” said Snow. “There is a high percentage of people without a primary care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner) in the area. This model provides access to primary care until patients receive a permanent provider.”
As the province continues to recruit new physicians and nurse practitioners to the province and reduce the number of Nova Scotians without a family practice, models like primary care clinics are available for those who need care.
As Snow ramps up her new NP career in Middleton, she is optimistic.
“I feel like there's just so much opportunity, especially working rurally and working in Nova Scotia, where the scope for NPs is so large,” said Snow. “I'm really excited for my future career here.”
Gratitude goes both ways for Snow and the community.
“I just feel so grateful to be back home and I feel like I didn't appreciate this when I lived here. It took moving away to really appreciate what I was missing about Nova Scotia.”
