SHARE
Nurse Practitioner Spotlight: Krystal Hackett, NP
February 27, 2025
Krystal Hackett, a Nurse Practitioner with the Bay St. George Family Care Team, shares her journey in nursing, her experiences in primary care, and her involvement with the Registered Nurses’ Union of Newfoundland and Labrador. With a passion for women’s health and palliative care, Krystal provides insight into the challenges and rewards of her role, as well as the importance of union advocacy for Nurse Practitioners.
Where did you complete your nursing education, and when did you graduate?
I completed my undergraduate degree (Bachelor of Nursing) at Western Regional School of Nursing and graduated in 2014. I later completed my Master of Nursing – Nurse Practitioner degree at Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2021.
What inspired you to become a nurse?
During my years working as a Registered Nurse, I loved caring for patients at the bedside and getting to know their life stories. I worked in various settings, including medicine, surgery, rehab, palliative care, paediatrics, and obstetrics. I also spent several years teaching as a nursing instructor. Despite loving my work, I felt something was missing. I wanted to help patients before they ended up in tertiary care. Knowing our province’s shortage of primary care providers contributed to ER overcrowding, I wanted to be part of the solution—so I entered the NP program.
Where do you currently work, and what is your role?
I am a Nurse Practitioner at the Bay St. George Family Care Team.
Can you walk me through a typical day in your role?
In primary care, I manage my own patient panel. My day consists of in-person and virtual (telephone or video) appointments for a range of needs, including wellness checkups, chronic disease management, acute issues, end-of-life care, home visits, well-baby visits, prenatal care, and various procedures like IUD insertions and excisional biopsies.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
My two biggest passions are women’s wellness and palliative/end-of-life care. When it comes to women’s health, I love educating patients on contraception, pregnancy, menopause, and wellness screening. Many patients feel uncomfortable discussing their health issues, so I work to create a safe and supportive space.
I am also deeply committed to end-of-life care. I strongly support palliative/comfort care and serve as an assessor and provider for MAiD on the Southwest Coast of NL.
What are the biggest challenges in your current role?
One of the biggest challenges in primary care is getting patients timely access to specialists. Unfortunately, long wait times for physician specialists and surgeons are common. Our specialists work hard to manage their waitlists, but many must pause accepting referrals to catch up.
Have you worked in other areas of nursing before?
Yes, I have worked in numerous areas of the nursing profession. Before primary care, I provided episodic care in the fast-track department at Western Memorial Regional Hospital for 1.5 years. For the past three years, I have also been doing locums as an NP in Northern Labrador, mostly at the Natuashish Clinic. Working in these areas emphasized the vital role of primary care. Many ER visits could be prevented if patients had access to primary care services. I also love working with the Innu population and learning about their culture. Serving this community and helping address health inequities has been deeply rewarding.
What position(s) do you hold within your branch or the union?
I am a Shop Steward.
Why did you get involved with the Registered Nurses’ Union of Newfoundland and Labrador?
We have numerous NPs in the Bay St. George area, but when I inquired, I realized there was no NP representation in our branch. As NPs, we have unique concerns, and I felt it would be beneficial to have someone from our profession advocating for us and serving as a resource for members.
What’s one thing you’ve learned since becoming involved with RNU?
You don’t realize how hard the union is working for our profession until you’re a part of it. I had no idea what went on behind the scenes—the amount of hard work, long hours, and dedication our executive and branch members put into advocating for us. I have a much greater appreciation for our union and feel so much pride in being a part of it. We are one of the strongest unions in our province, and our union will never stop fighting for what we deserve.
What advice would you give to nurses thinking about getting involved in the union?
We can all see that, despite the progress we’ve made, there’s still a long way to go. You have the option to stay on the sidelines and highlight the issues, or you can use your voice to be part of the change for a better future.
What do you think are the biggest issues facing nurses today, and how can the union help?
One of the biggest issues is that NPs are not fairly compensated for the work we do. We are currently in the PDQ process, and I hope this will bring change. It is discouraging to work within such an expansive scope and high degree of responsibility without feeling fairly compensated.
Can you share a favourite memory from your nursing career?
I have many favourite memories, but one that stands out was during my first MAiD provision. After explaining the procedure, we asked the patient if she had any questions before we began, acknowledging that the process might feel scary. She responded, “Oh no, this is not scary. This is freedom.” That moment stayed with me and became one of the reasons I am so passionate about MAiD—giving people a sense of freedom and autonomy to relieve their suffering.
If you could change one thing about your workplace or role, what would it be?
I hope the government allows Nurse Practitioners to work in independent clinics within the public system. NPs running their own clinics do not want to charge patients for care, but without government support, they have no other choice. I hope the government adopts a funding model to allow NPs to continue working in their own clinics.
What makes you proud to be a nurse?
The association between nursing and care/compassion. I hear often that my patients feel “heard.” NPs are known for truly listening to patients and bringing compassion and care into our interactions.
How do you see your career evolving in the next few years?
I want to continue expanding my knowledge in women’s health and end-of-life care. I’m also excited for our team here in the Stephenville area to move into our new building for our Family Care Team. I can’t wait to see our team grow and welcome more Nurse Practitioners!