The NTHSSA is pleased to spotlight Allyson Arychuk, a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner in Yellowknife.

Allyson was born and raised on Prince Edward Island where she completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at UPEI to become a Registered Nurse. After graduating, she worked on the Birth Unit at IWK in Halifax for two years before moving to Yellowknife in 2011 for a one- to two-year period. It’s been 14 years, and Allyson is happy to still call Yellowknife home.

“I love the culture and beauty of the North. It is always impressing me and making me thankful for the beauty it gives us,” she says.

A genuine interest in healthcare and the mix of science and connection with others, as well as the stability of the profession, led Allyson to her career in nursing.

“I love working with people, and I enjoy working with patients to help them navigate their health concerns or goals,” Allyson says.

While working as an RN, she felt the desire to grow her scope and education, choosing to become an NP to help meet a need in the health care system to address many of the barriers people face, including access to care.

Allyson completed her Master of Nursing-Nurse Practitioner through the University of Saskatchewan in 2022 and is now working as a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. NPs can diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, order diagnostic tests and refer to specialists.

Allyson believes one of the biggest challenges we face in the North, as elsewhere in Canada, is the access to health care.

“We have a large physician vacancy rate, and we know that only 17-18% of physicians come to rural and remote areas to work. We know that NPs are used in a lot of rural and remote areas to address this gap in access, so my hope is we would hire more NPs,” she says.

“I think the challenge for everyone working in the system is still trying to provide a high level of patient care without enough resources.”

Allyson says it takes a lot of hard work to become an NP: four years doing an undergraduate degree to become a Registered Nurse, then several years work experience before applying to a Master of Nursing – Nurse Practitioner program. She believes roles like hers can make a big difference in communities trying to get better access to health care.

“I enjoy the nature of the work and the opportunities that exist for NPs in health,” Allyson says. “I know our system is not perfect, but it is a privilege to help and care for members of my community.”

When not working as an NP, Allyson enjoys spending time with her family, crafting, walking, hiking, cross-country skiing, and going to the gym, as well as running another business outside her work at Primary Care.

“I love living in a smaller city. We have the amenities we need, a short commute to anywhere in the city, and the sense of community in Yellowknife is very special,” she says. “It is not something that exists elsewhere.”