I've been in the workforce since I was twelve years old; and by that I mean making an actual paycheque from a job. That's thirty-five years of working! My jobs have included working in a hardware store, a food court vendor, as a care-aide in a nursing home, a maid/cook/server/general laborer at a fishing resort, clerk in a quilt shop and various positions as a registered nurse. I learned a lot in each job; some I liked more than others and I only had one that I really did not like at all and it only lasted a few months (thank goodness).
My first paying job, at the age of twelve, was in the hardware store. It was here I learned to count change, organize various sections in the store, take stock, place orders and deal with the public. I enjoyed spending some of my paycheque on things from the store (craft supplies, wool, presents for my family and lots of things to stock my fishing tackle box). I enjoyed this job very much and it was here that I started to hone my communication skills; you have to be really good at listening, watching body language and being on the receiving end of some pretty nasty talk from customers. I still have some of my purchases from that store!
At the age of sixteen I became a care-aide in a nursing home of seventy-five residents. I learned a lifetime of skills at this job. I provided all sorts of personal care to elderly residents (bathing, dressing, feeding, assisting with exercises, assisting nurses with procedures etc). Working with a team of people provided a wealth of opportunities to observe different approaches to the same job, how people worked together (or not!!), how personalities affected the workplace and how some people are in a job for reasons that aren't altogether beneficial to the people they are working for or with. I learned a lot about family dynamics and how family members treat their elderly relatives (again, good and bad) and I learned about dying as many people I cared for passed away.
Working in a fishing resort was a ton of fun! I did this for two summers out on Lake of the Woods in Ontario, working for my US relatives at the resort they owned. I cleaned cabins, baked bread, pies and cooked in the kitchen, I sold bait, gutted fish, bailed out boats, took reservations and was the picture taker for lots of pictures featuring fish, beer and smiling faces!
My nursing career started in 1988 and I have done that job ever since ( worked in my friend's quilt shop for a while along with nursing... it was for a fun reprieve from the stresses of my nursing job). I have worked in acute care (Alberta, Ontario and BC) doing everything from delivery babies to medi-vac flights, long term care (Alberta and BC) working in long term care facilities and for the past eight years I have been working in Home and Community Care. It is in this last area of nursing that I believe I have found my special place.
I appreciate the science and the art of nursing; my personality tends to put me more on the art side but I embrace them both. There is constant learning happening every single day and it would take me a long time to outline what I have learned doing this job. I think it is best put this way: I feel privileged to be able to practise nursing. I am involved in people's lives when they are very vulnerable, anxious and overwhelmed at the complexity of the health care system. I love being able to talk with them, share resources, help them navigate and hopefully find a solution that will work for them and their families. It isn't always easy; sometimes people aren't very nice and I hear a lot of anger and frustration but I won't take it personally; people need to talk, they need someone to listen and to validate their feelings. So many times they just don't know which way is up and how to sort things out. I don't mind helping them through that. We are like detectives; putting together all the pieces to make a whole picture; lots of sleuthing through information, talking to people and looking at the evidence.. it's fun!
I can sincerely say I love my job; that is no lie. There are days I would like to shut my office and not come back but that doesn't happen very often; I have a good team to work with, my community is awesome and I hope that I can make a difference for people. The day I stop learning or wanting to learn will be the day I need to have a talk with myself and ask why I'm still doing what I'm doing.. I hope that day doesn't come for a long time.
Cheers!
Heather
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