As we celebrate National Nurse Practitioner Week, we shine a spotlight on Celia Evanson—a pioneer, leader, and passionate advocate for rural health care whose career has helped shape the landscape of nurse practitioners (NP) in BC.
Celia’s journey into nursing began at age 30, when she was a part of the final graduating class of the Vancouver General Hospital RN diploma program. At that time, the early 1990s, nursing jobs were scarce. However, recognizing that change was on the horizon, she chose to continue building on her skills and education and pursued a baccalaureate degree in nursing. Eventually, she enrolled in a master’s program at the University of Victoria, becoming part of the first cohort of nurse practitioner students in the province. When she graduated in 2005, the NP role was still emerging, with no defined scope of practice in place. That didn’t deter her though.
“I have no regrets going down that pathway,” Celia reflected. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve done.”
After graduation, Celia became the first NP to be hired by Northern Health (NH), launching her practice in Fraser Lake. Her work spanned primary care, the emergency department, and outreach to First Nations communities. She later took a position in Fort St. James in partnership with Nak’azdli Whut’en and eventually moved to Rock Creek (Interior Health region) to establish a solo practice—again, the first NP employed in that region.
She took a people-focused approach to her work, recognizing the need to develop a trusting relationship with patients, as well as the importance of being present and genuine.
“It’s important to take time to get to know your community, the people, the issues,” she said. “You need to be present, available, to learn who you can count on, and let them know they can count on you.”
You can take a girl out of the North…
Despite establishing her practice and being close to family, her deep connection to the North meant that she couldn’t stay away for long. Work brought her back in 2021, when she and her husband settled in Hudson’s Hope and she began working in primary care in Chetwynd.
“I was born in the Yukon and grew up in Vancouver, but I feel like a Northern girl,” she said. “My passion is Northern and rural living. We need to figure out how to bottle the Northern spirit—you have to experience it to understand.”
Cultivating leadership
Being at the forefront of her discipline, Celia had many experiences that helped her develop as a leader. Her leadership journey began when she stepped in to temporarily support the NP leadership portfolio at NH while a colleague was on leave. After that, she was encouraged to apply for a shared role as Medical Director for Lakes Omineca, covering the communities of Burns Lake, Fraser Lake, Fort St. James, and Vanderhoof. Today, she works full time in leadership, also supporting the South Peace and leading clinical tools development through the Order Set Team (OST).
Transitioning from clinical practice to leadership wasn’t easy. “The hardest part was feeling like I was abandoning my patients,” she admitted. But her nursing education and relational leadership style helped her navigate the shift.
“I lead from a place of support and gratitude. Even when dealing with complaints, there are ways to address them with compassion,” she said.
Celia’s presence as an NP in medical leadership is not adversarial—it’s collaborative. She works alongside physicians and other medical staff and emphasizes the strengths NPs bring to leadership: diverse clinical backgrounds, strong time management, adaptability, and a deep commitment to mentorship and community engagement. Her involvement with the BC NP Association and regulatory bodies helped shape the profession’s growth and visibility.
She’s proud of the evolution she’s witnessed.
“When I started, we had to constantly advocate for our role,” she reflected. “Now, there’s growing interest in how NPs can lead and contribute across the health authority.”
Leaving her mark
Helen Craig, Executive Director for Nurse Practitioners, met Celia when she began her Master’s program at UNBC, in 2005. Celia was her clinical faculty, and then colleague, and they would later go on to work together as leaders.
“I have appreciated Celia’s approach to relational leadership in both the NP portfolio and as a member of the medical director team. Celia continues to bring patient issues to the forefront as she supports her colleagues, and the communities she serves. She has been instrumental in training a number of NPs for the North, providing clinical placements, mentoring, and leading them as they embark on their new careers. We have been fortunate to have had her in the North over the past 20 years (with a short exit to the Interior!)”
Nurse Practitioner Week
For Celia, National Nurse Practitioner Week is a time to reflect and celebrate. Although she is now a medical director, she still manages to work casually as an NP.
“I’m not as involved with NPs now, but I’m proud of the work we’ve done in BC,” she noted. “We’ve gone from ten original NPs to a thriving community. NP Week honours our history, advocacy, and the changes we’ve helped bring to the health care system.”
Her advice to aspiring NPs and NP leaders?
“It’s an incredible journey,” she shared. “The opportunities are boundless—generalist, specialist, rural, urban. It’s a big shift, but the world is your oyster. NPs are the fastest-growing health profession in Canada, and it’s an exciting time to enter the field.”
As Celia begins to think about retirement, her legacy continues to inspire. Whether hiking, fishing, or exploring the woods around Hudson’s Hope, she remains deeply connected to the land and the communities she’s served. Her story is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and the Northern spirit.
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