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NP student highlights benefits of LTC placement
Laura Van Geel, who completed a placement at Trillium Villa, shares why she's choosing a career in LTC
2/3/2025
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Deron Hamel
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NP Annette Baptista, left, and student Laura Van Geel are pictured at Trillium Villa.
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When it came time for nurse practitioner (NP) student Laura Van Geel to choose a spot for the work-placement segment of her curriculum, she didn't hesitate in selecting a long-term care community.
Laura, a student at the University of Windsor, says her plan is to start a career in long-term care once she completes her studies. After landing a student placement at Trillium Villa Nursing Home, she has taken a major step towards reaching this goal.
Laura already has experience as a registered nurse, and what is driving her towards a career in long-term care is her previous experience working with seniors, she says.
“I really enjoyed working with the geriatric population,” she told S&R Today, near the end of her placement in December.
“NPs going into long-term care is fairly new, but I really love how they can enhance the quality of care by being there all the time.”
NPs working in long-term care homes carry out several duties including diagnosing, treating and managing illnesses, and they are also involved in providing palliative care.
Many long-term care communities, including Trillium Villa, have in-house NPs to enhance care quality for residents. NPs can play an important role enhancing quality of life for residents because they can address many health issues inside the home, reducing the need for hospital transfers.
“I think it's really important to have a provider in-house to provide that high-quality care and to support the nursing staff, and I just really love the idea of supporting the elderly and trying to improve the quality of care and supporting residents,” Laura says.
“We really try to keep people out of hospital, because that comes with so many other things.”
Asked what she would tell nurses considering a career in long-term care, Laura says they should know that the work is both complex and rewarding, and the experience will provide opportunities to enhance their skills.
“You're dealing with pain and palliation and acute problems that come up, (and) it really challenges you,” she says. “You have to use a lot of your skills and (the work is) very rewarding.”
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