WESTLOCK — When you talk about nurses, generally speaking, people tend to conjure up the image of a health care worker in an acute care setting, usually working to supplement the care being provided by a physician. And while that certainly does describe one type of nurse, there's a whole variety of roles and designations that nurses can fill across a spectrum of health care.
In fact, it was the flexibility of the profession and all the different types of nurses that are out there which drew Rachael Schiller into a career as a nurse over 25 years ago.
“There’s so many things about nursing that I don’t even think the community really knows about," says Schiller, who currently serves as a clinical nurse educator.
In the lead-up to National Nursing Week, which runs from May 6-12, the Town & Country This Week reached out to Schiller and several other health care workers either in nursing (or in an adjacent role) to discuss what got them into the profession and why they choose to stay in it. This is what they had to stay.
Rachael Schiller
Schiller, who lives in the Flatbush area, says she grew up in Westlock, but had always wanted to return here after attending college. Her other reason for entering nursing, she notes, was to raise a family — family life and nursing seem to go hand in hand.
Schiller says she worked on "the front lines" of the health care system for 10 years, serving in acute care and emergency care roles. She also managed the orthopedic clinic in Westlock for a time, and once took on a part-time role in a management capacity at the Westlock Healthcare Centre.
These days, she's back to working in emergency care part-time, but she's also serving as a clinical nurse educator, where it's her job to help other nurses through certification programs — cardiac courses, obstetrical courses, neo natal courses, etc.
While that role is more provincial in nature, Schiller particularly enjoys working in rural health care, where both residents and patients can be familiar with each other either within the context of health care or the community.
“One of the best things that has happened to me in my nursing career is when I am at work, and a family comes in and says, 'Oh, I’m really glad to see you’re working today, Rachael.’ Because they know who I am on a personal level," she said. “That personal connection that rural health care offers is why I continue to be a nurse in the rural area."
When asked if she would encourage others to enter nursing, Rachael acknowledges there is a lot of change going on right now within Alberta Health Services, which is leading to some instability as they don't know what things are going to look like at the end of that upheaval.
Still, she points out that, no matter what change occurs, you ultimately can't eliminate nurses.
“The profession is not replaceable. We are not an entity that can be replaced with any type of technology," she said. “And it’s fulfilling. There are days when you go home from work, and you cry, but I bet that happens everywhere. Our jobs can be very taxing, but we have a great group of people that we can also lean on.”
Amanda Brock
Much like Schiller, Amanda Brock originally grew up in the community of Westlock, but after moving away to attend college and work for a time in urban emergency care, she ultimately came back to town to raise a family.
When asked what drew her into nursing, Brock says she really enjoyed biology as a youth and also helping people, so the two interests kind of merged together.
As a registered nurse (RN), Amanda said she worked for about nine years in local emergency care, though in the last couple of months, she has served in the role of cardiovascular co-ordinator.
Noting that she is employed by the chronic disease management team but still works at the Westlock Healthcare Centre, Brock said she supports the provincial stroke program and its rollout in both Westlock and other sites.
That means providing education to staff and also helping to ensure Westlock meets both the Canadian guidelines and Alberta guidelines for stroke care, making sure patients "are getting appropriate and most up-to-date care."
From a patient's perspective, Brock also supports stroke sufferers in their journey, providing guidance as they move through the hospital on their way to being discharged and then helping them enter rehabilitation and physiotherapy programs.
Brock says she feels very fortunate to both work and live in a rural area, especially the community that she grew up in.
“We have a great site here that has a lot to offer. We’re really fortunate to have so many resources in our community available to our community members," she says. “I really love being part of this community and living in it.”
Diana Whyte
While she isn't technically a nurse, Diana Whyte is nevertheless serving in a role that is both adjacent to nursing and important for facilitating the work that nurses do — a health care aide.
Whyte, who also lives in the Flatbush area but works in Westlock, says health care aides may work in a variety of fields, such as home care, acute care, private care or long-term care.
Whyte said she first entered health care after her husband became ill and she began spending a lot of time at the hospital.
Whyte works at the Westlock Continuing Care Centre, where she has been for the past 15 years. She assists with what is termed the activities of daily living, which is basically attending to the regular needs of residents.
“If one of our residents says, ‘Aren’t you a nurse,' I say, ‘No, I’m a helper,'" she says.
Whyte says she loves interacting with elderly people and hearing their stories about what they've done and the things they've seen. Plus, as she jokingly notes, older folks can get away with things nobody else can.
“You’re not going to question someone who is 103. They've earned the right to do whatever they want," she says.
Nevertheless, Whyte says that health care aides do serve as the "eyes and ears of nurses," keeping watch for changes in behaviour or other symptoms that a nurse must be alerted to.
Whyte says she and others who work at the Continuing Care Centre also regard their tasks as an honour, helping people at the end of their lives.
“That’s kind of the end game of why we’re there at long-term care: we’re not going to make you better, but we’re going to make what time you have left better," she says.
Rhonda Craig
Though they are at different facilities, Rhonda Craig is an example of a nurse that a health care aide like Whyte would report to.
Craig serves as a Licenced Practical Nurse (LPN) and currently works at Smithfield with Westlock Home Care. In fact, she's been there for about 20 years.
Craig says she was initially coaxed into health care by her mother, who used to rave about it. However, she initially worked as a health care aide, only making the switch to become an LPN back in 2011 when personal circumstances necessitated a higher wage.
“It was the best decision ever," she says.
Noting that they have about 40 Smithfield Lodge residents they are responsible for, Craig says she acts in a team lead position. In addition to tending to duties like wound care, catheters, skin assessments and injections, she also acts in a supervisory role for four to five health care aides, depending on what shift it is.
Noting that she has been working at Smithfield Lodge for 20 years, Craig says, "I form really close bonds with the residents, and that's probably the best part. I just like being there for them, caring for them.":
When asked if she would encourage others to enter nursing, she would recommend they try some nursing care before fully committing to it, perhaps working as a health care aide.
"It can seem like a really glamorous profession, and it’s a really rewarding profession," she said. "But sometimes there are misconceptions about it ... It’s a rewarding job, but it’s not for everyone."
