Articles

Lynn Digney Davis Awarded the Heather Keith Nurse Practitioner Leadership Award

By Debbie Bathgate RN(NP)

Heather Keith and recipient Lynn Digney Davis

Roll out the red carpet!  On April 20, 2012 the Saskatchewan Association of Nurse Practitioner's (SANP's) second annual Heather Keith Leadership celebration honored three well deserving nurse practitioners (NP)s in the presence of peers, family and health care and government leaders.  The Heather Keith Nurse Practitioner Leadership award is a peer recognition award that acknowledges nurse practitioner leadership, advocacy and community involvement through volunteerism.  The nurse practitioners so honoured were Shelly Cal, Lynn Digney Davis and Wendy Quinn.

Shelly Cal works in Hudson Bay as part of a primary health care team and provides emergency services in the hospital in the mornings, health services in the medical clinic in the afternoon and is “on call” two – three times a week in collaboration with local physicians.  Shelly volunteers for many health related support groups and developed the “Welcome Wednesdays” group to support community members who had significant social, mental and educational needs due to the Weyerhaeuser shut-down.

 Lynn Digney-Davis contributes to health care at the provincial level in her role as Chief Nursing Officer with Saskatchewan Health.  Here, she provides leadership and strategic advice on health care issues and supports the advancement of nursing and the nurse practitioner role in the province.  Lynn also maintains a clinical practice in the Regina Qu’appelle health region in a rural setting.

 Wendy Quinn developed her nurse practitioner role in the Mont St. Joseph care in Prince Albert.  She was the first nurse practitioner in the province working with seniors and has developed innovative new programs to keep seniors healthy in this setting.

 Entertaining presentations by the nominators highlighted these diverse, innovative nurse practitioner practices.  The stories evoked pride, laughter, awhhs, and tears. The accolades and celebrations culminated in the announcement that the recipient of the 2012 Heather Keith Nurse Practitioner Leadership award was Lynn Digney Davis.  Congratulations to all three nurse practitioners.  We are privileged to have nurse practitioner members who are pioneers in developing novel solutions to improve health care outcomes of Saskatchewan people.