Nurse practitioner services highlighted during nursing week

Nurses every step of the way is one of the themes of Nursing Week which is this week.

North Bay has a nurse practitioner led clinic and some of the services they offer were highlighted on Thursday.

Recently, the local clinic received special designation for the best practices it uses in working with patients. The executive Director of the local clinic is Leeann Whitney.

She says they are relationship and team based so its up to the patient to determine with the team how their care and treatment can best be accomplished.

Whitney says the only services the nurse practitioner can’t do that a doctor can is providing narcotics and Benzodiazepines.

She points out they do diagnose conditions, order tests and prescribe other medications.

Whitney says the age of their patients vary from birth to 100 years of age with the average age being 34.

She says young families and children tend to be the majority of their practice.

Whitney says they focus on prevention in working with patients.