Nurse Practitioners within the SND PCN support patient access to primary care by working collaboratively with the Family Physicians and other health care professionals in the clinic where they are located. Through a mutual selection process, successful PCN NP candidates match with clinics that have expressed interest in hosting a PCN NP.

PCN NPs are expected to work as independent primary care providers, build their own panels, and provide high-quality care to their patients in alignment with the Patient Medical Home attributes. SND PCN Nurse Practitioners are part of the SND PCN initiative and are committed to collaborating with the Surrey-North Delta Division of Family Practice, Family Physicians and other PCN key stakeholders to contribute to the success of PCN in our community.  

Erin Truong joined the Surrey-North Delta PCN in May 2023 as a Nurse Practitioner operating within a team-based setting at Dr. Elaine Jackson and Dr. Susan Laubenstein's clinic. This is what she has to say about her experience so far. 

What made you want to be a part of the Surrey-North Delta PCN?

I started my career in Surrey as an RN nearly 20 years ago on the Family Birthing Unit at SMH. Throughout my training in the Nurse Practitioner program at UBC, I knew that I wanted to continue learning and working in Surrey. I am constantly awed at the resilience of this significantly and chronically underserved population. Moreso, I continue to be excited and challenged by the tapestry of diverse medical and socioeconomic factors that I feel are unique to this community.

What are some of the ways you work and connect within the team at the clinic where you are located? 

Dr. Elaine Jackson has provided unbelievable mentorship and support to me as a novice NP over the past couple of years and has continued this support as I begin my practice as a PCN NP. I have also had the privilege of learning from and connecting with Dr. Susan Laubenstein, whose expertise and kindness - and uncanny ability to provide a word of encouragement when I need it most - has made me feel like an integral part of our interdisciplinary family. As I mentioned earlier, the community’s needs are vast and complex, and it’s absolutely essential for a new practitioner such as myself to work in an environment where I feel supported and encouraged to ask questions and everyone is eager to learn from each other.

What kinds of services do you provide? 

As a Family Nurse Practitioner, I provide full scope primary care from birth to death. My considerable experience as a perinatal RN has translated well into providing services such as LARC insertion, contraceptive counselling, and postpartum/neonatal well baby visits. I am also interested in trans care and addiction medicine, and look forward to continuing to expand my training and knowledge in this area.

How has your experience been so far? 

There is a word from a well known author that might sum it up pretty perfectly: “brut-iful”. The learning curve has been exceptionally steep as I transition from an expert RN to novice NP. Add a global pandemic and the rest of life into the mix…there are times it has felt brutally overwhelming. The unconditional support from my family, colleagues and mentors has made it beautiful. I have been warmly welcomed and supported by the Division as well, as we all work together to make this PCN successful. 

What are you looking forward to? 

I feel excited about building my practice and making a small but hopefully impactful dent in the huge number of unattached patients in Surrey.  As a nurse, I have always enjoyed being a part of an interdisciplinary team, and so the PCN is an exciting way to provide coordinated, accessible and timely care to our patients.