Nurse Practitioner Week Spotlight: Hsu-Yin Boo

During Nurse Practitioner (NP) Week, we will be spotlighting NPs to highlight the important roles they play at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Today’s spotlight feature is Hsu-Yin Boo, who works in the Clinical Decision Unit.

Education/Training

I’m a new grad from the Masters of Public Health with Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner program at Lakehead University. Previous to this, I worked in the ICU, PACU and in the community as a registered nurse.

Why did you decide to become a Nurse Practitioner?

I decided I wanted to become an NP because I love learning. I’m committed to contributing to increasing access to healthcare for people in Northwestern Ontario.

Tell us about your role in your program.

I am newly employed as the NP for the Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) Pilot program in the Emergency Department. The intended role of the CDU is to hold patients who would benefit from a longer ER stay and avoid hospital admissions. As this is a new NP role and I am a new NP, the learning curve has been quite steep! I’m excited to be part of this pilot and feeling hopeful about shaping the program.

What is the most challenging part of your profession?
 
As a new grad, I’m finding it challenging to shape this new role and navigate the existing systems that are in place. I’m looking forward to getting a little more comfortable — I know that I will with time!

What is the most rewarding aspect of your profession?

I love working with patients to create a plan of care that they feel good about. I’m also really enjoying all my new colleagues in the Emergency Department.

Do you have any advice for those considering a career as a Nurse Practitioner?

So far, this career is very engaging. As NP roles become more established, there will be many interesting opportunities. I think it is an exciting time to be an NP.