Name: Tess Walde, NP
Credentials: MScN, NP(F), ADHD-CCSP
DNP Candidate, Midwestern University (2025–2027)
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Tess Walde is a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) candidate at Midwestern University with a quality improvement focus on correctional health, opioid agonist therapy (OAT), and provider-led innovations in substance use treatment. Her DNP project explores the impact of nurse prescribers on OAT initiation and maintenance at Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre, aiming to improve clinical outcomes and reduce provider workload through expanded nursing scope.
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NP Walde currently serves as a Nurse Practitioner at Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre, where she provides primary care, mental health, and substance use treatment to incarcerated men. Her practice also includes urgent care and specialized neurodiversity assessment with roles at North Shore Urgent Primary Care Clinic and Therapy Works BC. She has extensive experience delivering OAT services to marginalized populations and advocating for trauma-informed, culturally competent care.
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She holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Athabasca University and a Mental Health and Addictions Diploma for NPs from the University of Toronto. Her certifications include Provincial Opioid Addiction Treatment (BCCSU), HIV Management, ADHD Clinical Services, and Medical Abortion. She is an active member of the Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of British Columbia, Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA), and the Thompson Region Divisions of Family Practice.
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NP Walde contributes to provincial initiatives such as the BCMHSUS Withdrawal Order Set Working Group and has previously served on the Thompson-Cariboo Overdose Prevention Taskforce. Her clinical expertise and leadership in clinical settings position her to evaluate the effectiveness of nurse-led OAT prescribing models and their impact on withdrawal management and treatment continuity.
