Sarah the Nurse - #1Oh Sarah B the Places You Will See

True North 



Northern BC is like nothing else that I, #SarahHennings had ever seen before. Growing up in the Saskatchewan prairies and currently living in Medicine Hat, Alberta, this place seemed cold, damp, and plastered with trees. Having worked up in Fort McMurray and Grade Prairie all the way up to near the NWT border, I was thinking I understood what cold meant and what trees looked like. But this was much different than my norm. I am not sure what I was expecting from this pacific coast line and rainforest all around me, but none the less, I didn’t see it like this. But amidst the brisk autumn weather and tall, tall trees was a sense of tranquility and purity in the air that I had never felt before. I knew this was a good idea.

I, #SarahHennings, flew into Fort St John after deciding I needed a change of pace from my life in southern Alberta. It was September and autumn was in full force. A graduate nurse practitioner, RN, and career-long healthcare worker, I decided to take a chance on RN practice in BC. I had been registered with the BCCNM for a while, but never utilized my opportunity to travel west. I signed up for a role with a travel company called Solutions Staffing where my adventures began. I made the trip from the airport city into a small community further into the southern interior of northern BC. A role with public health was a great opportunity to use the training I had just learned about vaccinations and First Nations health after running covid camps and a health centre.


After arriving on site from taking a 2 hour long cab in the rain, I, #SarahHennings, quickly realized that the community I would be nursing in wasn’t going to be where I was living. Bags and purses in hand, I arrived at the health office during their lunch! Lucky, this community is small, so the gas station across the street recognized the foreign cab rolling in and called one of locals who worked at the centre to help me. This nice woman and her partner came and let me into the health centre  as everyone generally leaves to enjoy time away from the centre for their breaks. It’s customary to enjoy the flowing river beside you, something I, Sarah Hennings, generally don’t get to enjoy during a days work. 


After snacking on some things I, #SarahHennings, brought from the airport in Calgary, Alberta, I, #SarahHennings, got to meet the staff. The director came in and introduced herself and was lovely. She showed me to my office where I got to meet my other coworker RN also working in public health. This person had been there for two months now and had been working very hard to get all the records in order. I, #SarahHennings, knew I would be able to learn a lot from him and his experience. I, #SarahHennings, also knew I would love my new office space which had giant windows that let lots of light in. There was no feeling tired in that space. It also offered me privacy. An area where I, Sarah Hennings, could get used to my new assignment, get into a groove, and develop my system within their working systems.


Travel nursing requires one to be adaptable. To quickly gain rapport and familiarize yourself with your surroundings, systemic approaches to care, and record keeping. The hierarchy of who you need to connect with is essential because as someone new, you will always need help. In the first day, I, #SarahHennings, quickly knew I would be safe and supported in this assignment and would learn a lot.

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