Paula has worked in health care for more than three decades, graduating from Western Memorial School of Nursing in 1993, completing a bachelor\u2019s in nursing by distance in 2000, a master\u2019s in 2016, and a post-graduate NP program in 2022.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI was regional infection prevention and control during COVID,\u201d she said. \u201cThere was a major change in environment. The next logical step was NP. I didn\u2019t realize how great that piece of the career would be. I didn\u2019t realize how much I would enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n
She takes a holistic approach to every patient. \u201cI take a long time with my patients at first, and I do a holistic approach to their care,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t 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\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Practising to Full Scope<\/strong><\/p>\n Paula believes Nurse Practitioners have even more to offer the system. \u201cI wish people understood full scope,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult for people to understand the full scope when healthcare doesn\u2019t allow you to practice to your full scope.\u201d She\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThat Person Is Somebody\u2019s Somebody\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Paula credits her mother, also a nurse, for the best advice she ever received. \u201cIt was from my mother when I was a student,\u201d she said. \u201cShe 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, \u2018Yeah, I understand, but you also have to remember this \u2014 that person that you don\u2019t like right now is somebody\u2019s somebody. Somebody loves that person. That\u2019s somebody\u2019s child, husband, wife, brother, sister, father. That\u2019s somebody\u2019s somebody, and you treat them like they are your somebody.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was 34 years ago,\u201d she added. \u201cEverybody has somebody in this world. You have to remember that when you\u2019re caring for them \u2014 especially when they\u2019re not at their best.\u201d<\/p>\n The Best Part of the Job<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cOne 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,\u201d Paula said.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s for specialized treatment described Paula as \u201can absolute angel.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n Months into the ordeal, when Paula became involved in the woman\u2019s care, thigs started to change. She took the time to listen\u2014to the patient and to her daughter\u2019s concerns. She reviewed the case thoroughly, coordinated consultations, and worked collaboratively to uncover the underlying medical issues that had been overlooked. Under Paula\u2019s care, the patient\u2019s health and cognition gradually improved, and by the end of the six-month journey, she was strong enough to return home.<\/p>\n The Best Job Ever<\/strong><\/p>\n When asked what she\u2019d tell someone considering becoming an NP, her answer came quickly. \u201cDo it. Just do it,\u201d she said. \u201cBest job ever \u2014 hands down. The most professional freedom I\u2019ve ever had, the most professional satisfaction I\u2019ve ever experienced, the best leadership position I\u2019ve ever had, and the most respect I\u2019ve ever experienced.\u201d<\/p>\n Paula credits her amazing mentors whose kindness, patience and availability has helped shape the Nurse Practitioner that she has become.<\/p>\n Life Beyond Work<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI have the cutest little two-and-a-half-year-old grandson who is just gorgeous,\u201d Paula said. \u201cAnd 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\u2019re like, \u2018Ah, Paula,\u2019 and I say, \u2018Yeah, I know \u2014 fur is a condiment in my house.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n She and her husband love to camp in Stephenville. \u201cWe used to travel, but it\u2019s too expensive now, so we just set up at Harmon Seaside Park in Stephenville,\u201d she said. \u201cI actually live on a lake \u2014 on a waterfront property \u2014 and yes, I still go camping because it\u2019s a fixer-upper and it\u2019s a lot of work. When I go to the camper, I\u2019m not working. I don\u2019t have to do housework or property work. It\u2019s our escape.\u201d<\/p>\n After more than 30 years in nursing, Paula still believes in the power of the profession. \u201cThere\u2019s so much potential for NPs,\u201d she said. \u201cWe just need the system to catch up \u2014 because there really is an NP for that.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Nurse Practitioner Paula Stagg walks into a patient\u2019s room at Western Memorial Regional Hospital, she brings more than a stethoscope and chart \u2014 she brings consistency, compassion, and a human level of understanding to her patients. \u201cI\u2019m currently working in Western Memorial Regional Hospital in acute care,\u201d Paula said. \u201cI take care of 35 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1428,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nursing-matters"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/intouch.rnunl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/att.wtzfnjr0AZVsm2c_a6v6WPDzmPHGHGHlZXKz1-II3IY-225x300.jpeg\")
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