It’s National Nursing Week and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is highlighting a few of our nurses and their achievements. Meet Christian Popa, a Nurse Practitioner at our Hospital.

Christian is a highly skilled Nurse Practitioner specializing in Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. With a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner certification, a Masters Degree, and expertise in Emergency and Trauma Nursing, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Christian brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the field.

Motivated by a desire for in-depth medical knowledge and a lifelong commitment to learning, Christian transitioned from a background in emergency department nursing to the Nurse Practitioner role. This position allows for both autonomy and collaborative care, ensuring the highest quality treatment for patients in Northwestern Ontario.

Championing Patient Continuity of Care: Christian’s dedication to patient well-being extends beyond the initial treatment phase. Notably, Christian spearheaded the implementation of the hospital’s Trauma Follow-up Clinic. This innovative initiative ensures comprehensive post-discharge care for trauma patients, promoting a smoother recovery journey, and avoiding readmissions to hospital.

As part of the Trauma and Acute Care Surgery team, Christian excels in providing comprehensive care from admission to discharge and follow-up in his clinic. This includes patient assessments, treatment implementation, cross-specialty consultations, procedural expertise, and patient, family, and staff education. Christian is dedicated to safe, seamless transitions of care through a strong multidisciplinary approach. He possesses a keen interest in advanced procedures, regularly expanding his skillset to provide the best possible care for his patients.

A key highlight is involvement in outpatient follow-up, promoting full recovery for trauma patients, as well as in research and policy development to advance the field. Beyond direct patient care, Christian is passionate about injury prevention, community health education, and knowledge translation. Teaching students and residents is a significant and rewarding part of his role.