Health care careers pitched to rural students
Provincially funded group's events aim to inspire kids to stay in community
From suturing to CPR, high school students in Vulcan tried out a variety of common medical procedures on Thursday, in an attempt to get them interested in a career in health care.
Because chances are, if rural high school students decide to pursue a health-care career, they'll likely come back to work in a rural community, suggests research by the Rural Health Professions Action Plan (RHPAP).
Research RHPAP conducted of 547 rural Alberta health care providers in May 2022 found that twothirds of respondents completed high school in a rural community and that one-third work in the same community where they completed high school.
“We've found through our work and through just talking to healthcare professionals that that growyour-own approach seems to be the most effective with rural Alberta,” said RHPAP'S Lynsey Robinson, who attended Thursday's event at the Vulcan Community Health Centre. “It's the students that have lived here, that know the people, that know the community that go off and come back.”
The RHPAP organizes these events like the one in Vulcan, called Let's Go Rural!, along with local groups to introduce rural students to career opportunities in health care. The events not only give students opportunities to try out medical procedures but also to learn from health-care professionals about what it takes to pursue a career as a doctor, nurse, lab technician or paramedic, among many other options in the field.
The RHPAP, which is funded by Alberta Health, has held eight high school events in rural communities this year to promote health-care careers in rural communities. One more such event is being held this year, and four more are planned for high school students next spring.
“We really hope that these type of events inspire them, keep their interest and then encourage them to explore them as a career path,” said Robinson.
Brenda Findlay, who chairs the health-care worker retention and recruitment committee in Vulcan County, said a similar session was held in Vulcan years ago, but it was aimed at post-secondary students and the students had already decided where they were going to work.
“We want to get kids right before they've made their decisions,” she said.
Findlay, who managed the Vulcan facility for over 20 years before retiring three years ago, said the facility was always looking for staff while she ran it.
“We were becoming a training ground,” she said. “By recruiting rural kids who will want to stay in their rural routes, we'll hopefully avoid some of that and get some people back. And even if they don't come back here, if they go some place else rural, that's great, because rural all over is hurting.”
Paulette Wagenvoort, the Vulcan Community Health Centre's current acute- and long-term care manager, said the community wants to “grow” its own healthcare workers.
“Functions like (the Let's Go Rural! event), where we can capture
We've found through our work ... that grow-your-own approach seems to be the most effective with rural Alberta.
that passion early, it's definitely what we're looking for,” she said.
Wagenvoort conceded rural facilities like Vulcan's are a stepping stone for young health-care professionals, but added that's OK.
“We'd like to try and build our own and keep our own,” she said.
Students thinking about pursuing a health-care career said they would consider coming back to a small town once they've completed their studies.
Maria Fehr, a grade 12 student in Carmangay contemplating a career as a paramedic or nurse, among her other options, said she would prefer working in a rural community.
“It's more hospitable and more like you know everyone, you make friends easy, and it's not just strangers,” said Fehr.