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“The Best Job I’ve Ever Had”: Nurse Practitioner Paula Stagg on Finding Fulfilment in Care
November 10, 2025
When Nurse Practitioner Paula Stagg walks into a patient’s room at Western Memorial Regional Hospital, she brings more than a stethoscope and chart — she brings consistency, compassion, and a human level of understanding to her patients.
“I’m currently working in Western Memorial Regional Hospital in acute care,” Paula said. “I take care of 35 alternate-level-of-care patients. Those are patients in transition — their acute phase is done, and it’s mostly discharge planning. The majority are waiting for long-term care. Some just need a little longer respite time or recuperation. Some do go to restorative care, some to personal care homes, and some go home with home support.”
Because many of her patients wait months for placement, Paula becomes a constant presence. “They’re often waiting four to six months in hospital to go to long-term care,” she said. “You have a long time to make a rapport with the patient and the family. With the different changes and staff, I’m the constant. I’m able to keep that continuity so they have that consistent connection between care providers. The families appreciate that.”
A Holistic Approach
Paula has worked in health care for more than three decades, graduating from Western Memorial School of Nursing in 1993, completing a bachelor’s in nursing by distance in 2000, a master’s in 2016, and a post-graduate NP program in 2022.
“I was regional infection prevention and control during COVID,” she said. “There was a major change in environment. The next logical step was NP. I didn’t realize how great that piece of the career would be. I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy it.”
She takes a holistic approach to every patient. “I take a long time with my patients at first, and I do a holistic approach to their care,” she said. “I don’t just look at what they need to get to long-term care. I look at their medical history, their medications, whether their needs are being managed, and if they’ve had appropriate screening for their age. I get the chance to do a holistic approach, and the families get involved, and they really appreciate that.”
Practising to Full Scope
Paula believes Nurse Practitioners have even more to offer the system. “I wish people understood full scope,” she said. “It’s difficult for people to understand the full scope when healthcare doesn’t allow you to practice to your full scope.” She’d like to see NPs given greater opportunities in hospital settings and has filled in as a Hospitalist NP when called upon. Paula thrived on the experience however she admitted that at her work site she could not admit patients during that shift despite the scope of practice in Newfoundland and Labrador for NPs including that ability.
“That Person Is Somebody’s Somebody”
Paula credits her mother, also a nurse, for the best advice she ever received. “It was from my mother when I was a student,” she said. “She was a nurse too. I was really upset one day with a patient who was not very nice to me, and I was going to quit. My mother looked at me and said, ‘Yeah, I understand, but you also have to remember this — that person that you don’t like right now is somebody’s somebody. Somebody loves that person. That’s somebody’s child, husband, wife, brother, sister, father. That’s somebody’s somebody, and you treat them like they are your somebody.’”
“That was 34 years ago,” she added. “Everybody has somebody in this world. You have to remember that when you’re caring for them — especially when they’re not at their best.”
The Best Part of the Job
“One of the great parts of my role is seeing somebody who is destined for long-term care that really just needed a longer recuperation time,” Paula said.
That commitment to seeing the whole person has made a real difference for families. One Corner Brook resident whose mother spent nearly six months moving between cardiac care, rehabilitation, and a trip to St. John’s for specialized treatment described Paula as “an absolute angel.” Before her stroke, the woman had been healthy and active for her age, so when a diagnosis of progressive dementia was made, her family was convinced something else was being missed. Each transfer brought new waiting periods for beds, tests, and consultations, and the family often met resistance when pushing for further assessment.
Months into the ordeal, when Paula became involved in the woman’s care, thigs started to change. She took the time to listen—to the patient and to her daughter’s concerns. She reviewed the case thoroughly, coordinated consultations, and worked collaboratively to uncover the underlying medical issues that had been overlooked. Under Paula’s care, the patient’s health and cognition gradually improved, and by the end of the six-month journey, she was strong enough to return home.
The Best Job Ever
When asked what she’d tell someone considering becoming an NP, her answer came quickly. “Do it. Just do it,” she said. “Best job ever — hands down. The most professional freedom I’ve ever had, the most professional satisfaction I’ve ever experienced, the best leadership position I’ve ever had, and the most respect I’ve ever experienced.”
Paula credits her amazing mentors whose kindness, patience and availability has helped shape the Nurse Practitioner that she has become.
Life Beyond Work
“I have the cutest little two-and-a-half-year-old grandson who is just gorgeous,” Paula said. “And I have four very large Alaskan Malamute dogs. We used to breed them, but we ended up keeping too many. I just come to work full of fur, and they’re like, ‘Ah, Paula,’ and I say, ‘Yeah, I know — fur is a condiment in my house.’”
She and her husband love to camp in Stephenville. “We used to travel, but it’s too expensive now, so we just set up at Harmon Seaside Park in Stephenville,” she said. “I actually live on a lake — on a waterfront property — and yes, I still go camping because it’s a fixer-upper and it’s a lot of work. When I go to the camper, I’m not working. I don’t have to do housework or property work. It’s our escape.”
After more than 30 years in nursing, Paula still believes in the power of the profession. “There’s so much potential for NPs,” she said. “We just need the system to catch up — because there really is an NP for that.”