Education
Bachelor of Nursing
University of Calgary (2012)
In 2008 I started a 4-year program at the University of Calgary, which guided and prepared me for a fulfilling career in health care. Courses such as ethics, research and pathophysiology expanded my knowledge and understanding of nursing. Labs and practicums help me establish my skills, critical thinking and overall nursing practice.
Master of Health Studies
Athabasca University (2019-present)
A masters in health studies will assist me in further developing my understanding of health care and its systems. It will prepare me for roles in leadership, and provide personal and professional growth.
Experience
Orthopedics
May 2009- Oct 2014
In my first year of nursing school, I started my first job with Alberta Health Services as a nursing attendant. I began to build my basic skills as a health care worker, developed rapport with many clients, and began to gain my confidence. I worked on an Orthopedic Surgery unit and had the opportunity to work as an undergraduate nurse in my third year of school (worked as a nurse with an appointed mentor). Eventually I grew into a registered nurse, and took on more responsibilities, such as being the charge nurse on night shifts. I began to discover who I was as a health care professional on this unit, and laid the stepping stones for my career in health care!
NICU
Oct 2014- June 2018
When I felt as though I reached my peak on the Orthopedic unit, I decided to make the exciting change to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I experienced a very steep learning curve and a very challenging, fast-paced and team based work environment. I had found my niche for bedside nursing. Taking care of a tiny 900 gram baby is an experience like no other. A little 1200 gram baby staring up at you with their wide and bulgy eyes just melted my heart. I felt like I was truly making a difference in the lives of these babies and their families. I worked full time shift work for 4 years there, and loved every exhausting minute.
Application Support Analyst
June 2018- Present
I made a big career change after the NICU, and landed a job with the company eCritical (still within AHS). At eCritical we run and support a system called MetaVision, which is used in almost all of the critical care units in the province of Alberta. The system is utilized by nurses, doctors, dieticians, respiratory therapists, and many more members of the multidisciplinary team.
As an Application Support Analyst, I do a lot of on call work answering questions, helping users get access to the system, troubleshooting technical problems and overall ensuring the system runs as smoothly as possible. I work closely with our technical team who does most of the background work when we experience issues.
I have a secondary duty to audit charts as a Quality Analyst (QA) to help ensure the accuracy and completion of charts for data collection. Our database team is called TRACER, and they store and work will all of the information collected within the system.
This job is very different from the bedside nursing jobs I am used to, but I have grown and significantly expanded my knowledge base since starting with eCritical. What goes on in the background is fascinating, and extremely important to the function and efficiency of our health care systems!