The truest of caregivers
It’s National Nursing Week across Canada
National Nursing Week is from May 6-12 in Canada this year. Their job is not an easy one — taking care of us and our loved ones when we are at our most vulnerable.
Even with the challenges our health care system faces today, there are still people entering the nursing profession — the truest of caregivers at heart.
Naomi Russell from St. John’s, NL is one month away from completing her Practical Nursing Diploma at the Centre for Nursing Studies. After high school, she initially studied film and theatre at Memorial University and it was through her experiences in jobs that supported her career in the arts that Russell discovered her love of healthcare.
“I had a job at a retirement facility as a waitress and then a full-time job in home care. These jobs made me question, “If I love PCA (Personal Care Assistant) work so much, maybe I should give nursing a go.”
A STUDY OF THE ART AND SCIENCE OF HUMANITY
Russell has found inspiration from many different facets of her life and studies.
“I have so many powerful influences in my life. All of the nurses in my family are constant inspirations. At the Centre for Nursing Studies, I’m surrounded by educators who have dedicated their lives to the study of nursing and have shaped me into the practitioner I’m becoming. The friends I’ve made in nursing school have also been a constant source of strength for me.”
She has also found inspiration from her patients.
“The patients I’ve cared for in various jobs and clinical rotations also inspire me because feeling like I’ve genuinely made a difference in their lives, no matter how significant, is always a reason to keep going.”
Russell says she is passionate about nursing as it’s a study of the art and science of humanity, the beauty of birth, life, and death, as well as finding strength and caring across the lifespan.
“It’s supporting people at their lowest and working with them to achieve their best. It’s being a constant advocate, educator, counsellor, problem-solver and friend,” she said. “You’re always considering all aspects of your patient’s life and its role in their wellness and pouring every ounce of yourself into their care. I’ve become addicted to the satisfaction of knowing I’ve helped someone achieve a state of wellness, understand something or become a happier and healthier version of themselves. On the other side, I always find peace in knowing I’ve provided comfort and relief to those in pain or transitioning toward the end of life. Nursing is a career of life-long education, growth and adventure, and it’s something so easy to be passionate about.”
REMEMBER WHY YOU STARTED
Russell says it’s hard to work in healthcare and not feel a sense of concern for the state of the system.
“It’s tough in Newfoundland because we have such a high percentage of older adults, as well as comorbidities. In general, the aging population is drastically increasing the demand for nurses, and the demand for nurses is increasing the rate of caregiver fatigue and burnout,” she said.
If you are not sure if nursing is for you, Russell recommends talking to as many people as possible and doing some research.
“I didn’t decide I wanted to be a nurse until I was 24, and I asked as many nurses and nursing students what it was like to work in the profession to help me make an informed decision. Nursing school is hard, but it’s so rewarding. Remember why you started, who you’re becoming, and the fantastic things you’ll do.”
ALWAYS ENJOYED WORKING WITH PEOPLE
Kentville, Nova Scotia resident Jennifer Banks has worked as an LPN for two years and is currently in a bridging program to be a Registered Nurse (RN). When Banks was in school, she worked as a CTA (Care Team Assistant) in various long term care facilities. After becoming a nurse, she worked in an acute care facility, which is where she says she always wanted to work.
“I applied and have been accepted into the St. F.X. distance bridging program. Classes began at the end of April. My path right now is to obtain my BSCN then start working on my Masters. I hope to continue to work in an acute care setting until my mid 50’s, then I hope to become an instructor for the local nursing schools.”
Banks says she was in her early 20s when she made the decision to become a nurse but ultimately her young family had to take priority over her studies. When she was 39, she returned to school and finished her nursing program with honours.
“I have always enjoyed working with people. Ensuring that people receive the care they need when they are at their most vulnerable is something I take pride in. I also enjoy teaching, and many people do not realize that nursing and teaching go hand in hand.”
The struggles in our health system does worry Banks, but she feels that if society continues to adapt to the needs of the population, and make education available for people who want to work in health care then we, as a country, are moving in the right direction.
She points out that it will never be a perfect system.
If you are a young person thinking of going into nursing, Banks highly recommends it because she says it is a very fulfilling career with many opportunities including bedside nursing, to long term care, to public health and research, and teaching too.
“If one area of nursing does not suit you, there are many other places where you can put that education to effective use. I do, however, recommend that everyone who plans on being a bedside nurse spend some time working in long-term care, even if it is only for a year, or on summer break. It gives a student a real opportunity to get hands-on experience.”
FIRST NURSE IN HER FAMILY
Kristina Sweeting of Cornwall, P.E.I., will be the first nurse in her family.
Sweeting is in her first year of studies at the UPEI’S Faculty of Nursing. It was a personal family tragedy that led her to choose nursing as a career.
In 2018, her father was diagnosed with Cutaneous T-cell non-hodgkin’s Lymphoma and given a grim prognosis as it is a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
“Although it was a devastating time for my family and I, especially when we lost him after only seven months, the silver lining was that I was able to discover my passion for caring for others and realized that I was meant to serve in the nursing profession.”
Although Sweeting will be the first nurse in her family, she points out that her maternal Peruvian grandmother was a type of herbal remedy healer, who in her younger years, would help neighbours and people of her community with natural remedies and herbs.
“I have also been inspired by some incredible nurses in my life, and I’ve also been inspired by the former nurses who I care for at the longterm care facility that I work at.”
Sweeting is passionate about nursing because she loves caring for others and helping them to feel better.
“I am fascinated by science and how the human body works, and how our physiological processes work. So, I feel that as a nurse, I couldn’t be any luckier because not only will I get to constantly learn about new things, but I’ll be able to combine it with what I love most: caring for people and comforting them, sometimes during their worst and most painful moments.”
TO CARE FOR THOSE WHO ONCE CARED FOR US
Sweeting hopes to eventually work in Gerontological Nursing and Palliative Care.
“I have been working in a long-term care facility for over a year now, caring for older adults with dementia, and I absolutely love it. It has been the most rewarding, humbling and fulfilling experience I have ever had, and it brings me immense joy.
“Caring for the older adults that I have cared for has been such an incredible privilege, and as I learned in one of my nursing classes, ‘To care for those who once cared for us, is one of the highest honours’”.
‘I have had the honour of caring for some incredible people, including former nurses who have done so much for those who they took care of.”
One of her favourite quotes is by Andy Rooney who said “the best classroom in the world, is at the feet of an elderly person,” and says that “all of the wonderful older adults that I have cared for have taught me more than I would ever be able to learn in a classroom, and they have also given me so much love.”