My work at the Hospital

I feel like I live there. It is good. I have a variety of people, big and small of all ages. There is a variety of illness that bring them in to the facility and they come from all over the communities. I enjoy hearing stories of how they got people to the hospital, as all the communities do not have access by car. When the weather is poor, as fog comes and goes around here hourly, planes to not take the risk to travel and risk lives of the air team. One story that comes to mind is there was a elderly lady who needed immediate attention. Planes could not fly that day due to fog, so the lady was placed in a boat and taken by water to an area of land which the taxi could pick her up from and transport her by taxi to the hospital in Inuvik. I just think it is great how things get done around her. Not like home!

The work itself, not what I expected. But that doesn't mean it is a bad thing. I thought I would be placed in more acute situations, really having to apply all my nursing skills. So far I have had only a few occassions where I felt I was challenged. Many of our traumas or other acute illness requiring further advanced treatment we send out via medivac to Yellowknife or Edmonton. Staff here are nice, but I think with all the nurses who come and go up here, they become "thick skinned". It also doesn't help that we have no coordinator to facilitate consistency up here.

I do enjoy it though and have no regrets leaving Ontario. I have assisted in 2 deliveries, and have had many little people who I am not use to in the ICU. I am always searching for new knowledge and new experiences. And this years adventure will only make me stronger!!