Employee Spotlight
Our "colourful" nurse with the infectious laugh has always loved taking care of the elderly, and it shows!
Q. How long have you been working for SSCHS?
A. I first came as a student after my first year of college in 2005. I did my preceptorship here in 2006 and then I just stayed.
Q. Can you describe what a typical work day is like for you?
A. I start off by coming in to work just before 7 o'clock and getting the report. Because I'm nursing in long-term care, we do both meds and care. Every day is different; you just go with the flow. Sometimes they'll call me down to emerge and I do wound care, but most of the time I'm in long-term care.
Q. Who do you interact with the most at work?
A. The residents mostly, but we also have our work relationships with co-workers. They're my family away from home. I call Meredith (nurse) my work wife *laughs. We're a small community, we all know each other, and we all get along.
Q. How would your co-workers describe you?
A. I'm kind of known to be an outgoing and colourful nurse. I got the Rainbow Brite award for Christmas one year. I also have a very loud laugh. In 2019-2020 I took a year off to go sailing for a year to the Bahamas and everybody tells me they missed my laugh. There's one resident who always tells me he loves my voice and my laugh.
Q. What's the best part about your job and working for SSCHS?
A. We're a big family. Especially in nursing we're a big family. We know each other and love each other and give each other respect. It's too bad that with COVID we can't get together after work like we used to, but things are starting to get better.
Q. What is one part of your job that might surprise people?
A. It's always a learning curve. I've been nursing for over 15 year and I'm always learning. When you're in school you kind of know that, but after a few years as a nurse, you realize you really can continuously take courses and learn new things and work to the scope of your practice. It's a traditional job, but it doesn't stay the same. I really like that. Nowadays you see a lot more male nurses, which you didn't see in the past as much. That's really cool.
Q. What made you decide to get into this field of work?
A. Even when I was little, since around grade four, I knew I wanted to be a nurse. We would have career days in school and I always talked about wanting to be a nurse. I just really wanted to get to know people, especially elderly people. They have the most interesting stories. As a teenager, my friends were always old people. I had a paper route and I would always stop and talk to them. I can really relate to them and I really care for them. It was meant to be. I also have a tremendous amount of empathy. I can always put myself in someone else's shoes. That's something you need in nursing.
Q. What are some of your interests outside of work?
A. Sailing. That's an easy one. Our best friends that live in Chapleau bought a sailboat and they were fixing it up and we bought one the next week. My husband took sailing courses, we bought a bigger boat, then eventually we sold everything and went sailing for a year. Also, spending time with my daughter. She turned five recently.
