I first started my nursing career on the medicine unit in 2019 at Peace Arch Hospital and eventually moved over to Ridge Meadows Hospital (RMH) to be closer to home. I had the opportunity through the Specialty Nursing Education (SNE) Program to specialize in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and the Operating Room (OR). It’s nice to look back to see where I started and where I am today with a few specialties under my belt.

Now, as a perioperative registered nurse, I can assist surgeons directly as a scrub nurse or support surgeries as a circulating nurse by checking in and preparing patients before surgery, helping with the anesthesia, charting and be a runner for supplies as needed. I really love being able to help patients feel at ease in a vulnerable environment and being part of their surgical journey. Every day looks different even if some of the surgeries are the same, which keeps it fun and exciting!

Working in a community hospital at RMH, the people are very nice and welcoming. I feel like we all work well together and collaborate with each other for best patient outcomes. We not only get to be a part of surgeries, but we get to work together in a fun team environment. It’s a really great place to work when you can work with a team that has become like family.

Over the years, I feel my confidence has grown and I have become a more well-rounded nurse. I’m appreciative of the opportunities I’ve had within Fraser Health to grow. One of my celebrated achievements was when I was able to scrub a surgery (total knee replacement) without using a poster to guide my order and steps. I was super proud of myself and was able to share that with my teammates who also shared my excitement!

I would highly recommend any new graduate nurses or nurses looking for a change to arrange a shadow shift for the areas you are interested in. This will provide you the opportunity to give you a better idea of what you might like. Be open to a totally different type of nursing and definitely be open to feedback. Some nursing skills will always transfer but some areas are so different. It can take time to find the right fit for you but that’s why nursing is so great. You can go from working with babies to working in the emergency room, psychiatry or the operating room. Schedule a few shadow shifts, there are so many options!

There’s a balance between work and play, and I’ve tried to incorporate what I enjoy into my working days as well as my days off. Living in Maple Ridge, I’m about a 10-minute drive from work and it makes it so convenient for my commute and work-life balance. There’s a lot of beautiful nature to explore and quite central to easily go into the city of Vancouver, go out to the valley or cross the border for a day trip into the United States. I enjoy living and working in a smaller community, but I am also fortunate to be so close to other communities that I could easily venture out to do the things I love such as trying different restaurants, shopping, running or hiking.