We are Niagara Health is a series of stories that celebrates the incredible people working and volunteering in our organization and how they make a difference in the lives of patients and coworkers every day.
Valerie Frassetto’s questions in university about her future have contributed to the Welland Emergency Department becoming a model of care today.
While completing concurrent degrees in biology and business at the University of Waterloo, Frassetto realized that the business world wasn’t the right fit for her. She also questioned how best to apply her science degree.
These questions led her to pursue her nursing degree at D’Youville College. While training and working as a Registered Nurse (RN), she learned about the unique role of the Nurse Practitioner, the profession’s comprehensive scope, including diagnosing and treating illness, and how it could positively impact patients.
“It’s the understanding of the nursing piece but adding a clinical expertise with it as well – the assessment and diagnosis; going broader with your scope of practice,” Frassetto says about the appeal of becoming an NP.
Drawn to emergency nursing, Frassetto started working as an RN in the Welland Emergency Department (ED) in 2006.
After two years, she enrolled in the Master of Science program at D’Youville, working toward becoming an NP.
The significance of Frassetto’s developing competencies was evident to those around her. The chief emergency physician at the time started a pilot program to see how an NP could fit into the department’s provider group. After graduation, Frassetto was hired for the role.
Fifteen years later, she’s proven herself to be integral part of the Welland ED.
“I worked hand in hand with ED leadership and our physicians to shape the NP role and determine how we care for different patient populations,” Frassetto says. “Having an NP in the department supports better patient flow, shortens ED wait times and length of stay, and ultimately improves the experience for patients.”
As an NP, Frassetto is equipped to manage a patient’s journey through the ED, including doing assessments, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, making diagnoses, and performing minor procedures.
"Having an NP in the department supports better patient flow, shortens ED wait times and length of stay, and ultimately improves the experience for patients.”
She works in conjunction with the ED physician; however, her NP scope allows her to take a more holistic approach to care, focusing on patient education, health promotion, and wellness.
It all adds up to what she describes as “thorough, in-depth care.”
“I provide education to patients about their diagnosis, help them with a discharge plan and other instructions they and their families or care team can use” she explains. “I work closely with my physician colleagues, ensuring we provide safer care.”
The success of the NP role in the Welland ED helped inform a similar pilot program recently launched at the Marotta Family Hospital in St. Catharines.
Clinical Manager Shauna Speck notes Frassetto’s contributions to the program and Niagara community are felt beyond Welland ED, through Frassetto’s efforts with quality improvement projects, mentorship of newly hired NPs in the department, and student preceptorship for those starting their career journey.
“Working with an NP as skilled as Val is a privilege that never goes unnoticed,” Speck says. “Val is a valued member of the provider team and is well-respected by the physician and leadership teams. Her optimism, willingness to forge new process through quality improvement projects, and consistent pursuit to provide evidenced-based care are truly a representation of the core values of Niagara Health.”
When Frassetto stepped into her Nurse Practitioner role all those years ago, she was one of just eight across Niagara Health. Today, there are 46. What hasn’t changed is her unyielding passion for growing the profession and caring for patients.
“I loved the ED from the beginning, and I don’t know any different,” she says. “By the same token, I haven’t given anything else a try. This is my passion.”
