Nurse Practitioner Week Spotlight: Katie Cardy
by Gina Fata
Today’s spotlight feature is Katie Cardy, who works in Central Intake.
Role: Nurse Practitioner in Central Intake.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 Katie Cardy, who works in Central Intake.
Education and Training
I graduated with my BScN in 2005 from Lakehead University with the honour of Valedictorian of my graduating class. I immediately began my career at 3C Surgical as a full-time RN. I was among the first three RNs in Northwestern Ontario to complete the CNA Medical-Surgical Certification in 2011. My love of surgical nursing then took me to the Operating Room as an RN from 2013- 2023. This further developed my surgical skill set and knowledge, allowing me to take a leadership role as a resource in General Surgery, including gynecology, thoracics, and then specializing in vascular surgery. This impetus was to return to Lakehead for my MSN and Nurse Practitioner certificate. I have a passion for nursing, and this was a natural progression in my career. After graduating from the MSN-PHCNP program at Lakehead in 2023, I took a role in Primary Care and continue to work in primary care while holding a full-time position as an NP in Central Intake.
Tell us about your role in your program.
My role focuses on Endoscopy and General Surgery, working collaboratively with specialists to provide patient consults and rapid access to care and procedures. The most challenging part of our profession is time! Finding time between patients or after hours to keep up to date with the newest guidelines and practice standards is essential to our practice to provide evidence-based care.
Do you have any advice for those considering a career as a Nurse Practitioner?
The most rewarding part of our role is the feeling you get inside when you have alleviated fears or concerns for your patient. They leave the interaction feeling supported, informed, and ready to proceed in their health care journey. If you’re thinking about becoming an NP, take the time to learn a variety of skill sets as an RN first. It is easy to take for granted the experiences you have in nursing that can better prepare you for the role as an NP that make you diverse and unique in your ability to provide health care.
