Listening to patients is the most important part of the job for new Lincoln Medical Partners Family Nurse Practitioner Katelyn Bolduc.

Bolduc joins Dr. Timothy Goltz and Dr. Robert Hunold at Lincoln Medical Partners Family Medicine in Damariscotta. She received her Master of Science, Family Nurse Practitioner degree from the University of Cincinnati, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Maine.

After working as a nurse for eight years, including stints at the Maine Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and as a nursing manager at Goodall Hospital in Sanford, Bolduc said she decided to become a nurse practitioner so she could work more independently with patients.

One of the things she enjoyed most about being a nurse at the neonatal intensive care unit, where new born infants with the most intensive medical needs are cared for, was helping families understand how to care for their baby and getting them ready to take their newborn home.

As a nurse practitioner, Bolduc said she wants to help her patients make healthier choices about diet and exercise but she also understands that everything she does with patients is a partnership.

“I try to make sure that I always listen to what my patients are telling me. I want to work with my patients not just tell them what to do,” said Bolduc.

A native of Presque Isle, Bolduc recently moved from Saco to Dresden where she and her husband, Todd, are starting a small farm. They plan to grow vegetables and raise chickens, goats and rabbits.

One reason she chose to practice in a rural area is that she wanted the opportunity to get to know her patients outside of medical appointments. Bolduc said she and Todd also wanted their three-year-old son, Ian, to have the chance to enjoy the same kind of lifestyle she had as a child.

For more information about Family Nurse Practitioner Katelyn Bolduc or Lincoln Medical Partners Family Medicine, call 563-4777.