UVic Nurse Practitioner Pioneer Receives Award

A graduate of the University of Victoria’s first class of nurse practitioners in the School of Nursing, Lorine Scott, will be honoured with the Alumni of Excellence award at an event May 10 celebrating National Nursing Week.

Scott has worked in the health field since 1972 and is currently providing primary care services to children and families in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside through the Provincial Health Services Authority.

“Lorine has been an innovator in implementing the nurse practitioner role in the province,” says Rita Schreiber, coordinator of the UVic Nurse Practitioner program. “Her commitment to social justice and health equity comes through in everything she does.”

Since 2003, UVic has been training nurse practitioners to assess and treat many of the routine ailments handled by family physicians. Nurse practitioners can diagnose and manage patients with common acute and chronic physical and mental conditions. They can also prescribe certain medications and order diagnostic services.

Nurses are the largest group of health care providers in Canada and are celebrating their profession as part of National Nursing Week (May 7-13).

The event is being held May 10 in the McPherson Library (lower level, room 027) where an exhibit is displaying work related to nursing research.

—30—