NP Student Focuses on Community-Centered Care
A passion for public health drives Alexandra Pond to complete her Master of Nursing Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner program.
Alexandra Pond (BSN’20) has always been attracted to the field of nursing for what she calls the “typical, but true” reason of wanting to help people.
It wasn't until she started at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Nursing that she began the exploration that would help her find her own niche within nursing and ultimately enrol in the Master of Nursing Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner program to focus even further on community-centered care.
Joining the College of Nursing from the rural community of Big River, Saskatchewan, Pond completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 2020, then went to practice in emergency departments in rural areas like Shellbrook and Meadow Lake.
It was there, handling emergency cases, that Pond started wondering about the other side.
"I became interested in the prevention side of health because when you’re on the opposite spectrum in emergency, you're wondering ‘what happened to them before they came here, how did they get here and how could they have been taken care of better?”
Pond was further intrigued with public health while working in an HIV and Hepatitis C case management program at a surrounding First Nation community.
“I found an interest in public health that had never interested me in my bachelor's degree.”
She decided to become a nurse practitioner.
Completing the nurse practitioner program coursework online in her first year, she was able to stay in her home community.
Pond is now working on two of three practicum placements required for her second year, in Meadow Lake and surrounding area, including Ministikwan and Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nations.
She works in a daily clinic, as well as rotations at the hospital.
Once she graduates, Pond hopes to return to practice in her home community.
She has special interests in reproductive health, infectious disease, and health teaching.
While the future may be open, Pond is confident she's chosen the right path and recommends it to others.
“There's something for everyone, and so many fields to work in— you can always switch it up if your life circumstances change," she said.
“For people who are considering going into nursing or if they’re in the program now, it’s not easy, but so worth it and so rewarding. It is an undertaking, but as a nurse you commit to lifelong learning to maintain your clinical competency to ensure the provision of safe and evidence-based care. It can be challenging at times, but if your drive to learn and passion for others is sound, then the world is your oyster.”
Together we will support and inspire students to succeed. We invite you to join by supporting current and future students' needs at USask.