New NP helps fill healthcare gap
SUSSEX - The addition of a nurse practitioner to the list of primary medical staff in Sussex means at least 500 more people will finally get a health care provider.
Kelly Dunfield began working from Dr. Hurd's office in May and is building her patient list, working her way through a list of 500 names of people who have been without a doctor for months or years.
According to the Nurses Association of New Brunswick, a nurse practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse who meets the requirements for registration with the association, has completed a nurse practitioner program in primary health care and has advanced knowledge and clinical expertise in assessment, diagnosis and health care management.
A nurse practitioner has authority to diagnose diseases and conditions, order X-rays, ultrasounds and lab tests, and prescribe medications, excluding narcotics, but does not have authority to admit patients for hospitalization.
Since legislation was passed in 2002 allowing nurse practitioners to practice in New Brunswick, the number of NPs in the province has grown to almost 50.
There are 16 NPs in the Sussex to St. Stephen region thanks to the support of Chief Nursing Officer Barb McGill.
"We work collaboratively with physicians in providing primary care," said Dunfield. "It's not just episodic care but chronic disease management. If somebody is beyond my scope of practice or they need to be admitted to hospital, I collaborate with Dr. Hurd.
"I can't imagine not working with a physician. We work independently, but together."
She said her job is a "nice mix between nursing and medicine" and also involves some teaching, health promotion and illness prevention. In Saint John some nurse practitioners work in urgent care in nursing homes, the correctional centre and in mental health, she said.
Dunfield has been a nurse for almost 20 years, since 1989, and worked as a nurse practitioner in Saint John for five years, where she had about 700 patients.
She is president of the New Brunswick Nurse Practitioners, which works with the provincial government and NANB to discuss issues and improve the role of nurse practitioners.
Dunfield attended university in Halifax, earning bachelor of science degrees in psychology and nursing. She then worked toward a diploma in occupational health nursing and a masters degree in nursing. In addition to working in Saint John she has worked at the Sussex Health Centre in various roles, including manager of the ambulatory clinics.
Dunfield, her husband John and sons Robert, 15, and Ryan, 11, live in Sussex near her parents Dale and Dini Sharp.
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