41138633•03/25/14
Passion for caring
through the looking glass - people of the city REGISTERED NURSE What does it take to become an RN?
An individual must complete an approved post-secondary nursing education program with the minimum being a four-year baccalaureate degree in nursing, then pass the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE), and apply to the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA) for Alberta practice registration.
Once these qualifications have been reached, there are options for further specialization and education. This includes becoming a clinical nurse specialist, a nurse practitioner, an oncology nurse or registered psychiatric nurse, or a clinical nurse educator.
LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE
LPNs have graduated from a recognized post-secondary practical nursing program, which typically take about two years to complete. LPNs also have to have successfully written the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination (CPNRE) and hold a valid practice permit from the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA).
HEALTH CARE AIDE
Health care aide certificate program or equivalent, which take between four months and one year to complete depending on the delivery method and institution selected.
By PEGGY REVELL
DONNA BITZ, RN with AHS at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital.
She started as a hairdresser, but it was nursing that Donna Bitz feels was always the job for her.
“Things happen in your life that kind of lead you to that direction,” said Bitz about becoming a nurse — for her it was when she was younger and her family looked after her grandmother when she had cancer. After becoming a hairdresser she headed back to school to be an RN.
at it h h “I love nursing, nursing is my passion,” said Bitz. “I love caring for the people.”
Teaching is another aspect of nursing she loves — teaching about health care, medication, lifestyle and disease to patients.
For the first 11 years of her nursing career, Bitz worked on the medical surgery floor of the hospital — her favourite part with it being the people and the patients and seeing them get healthy after surgery. Between dressing changes, IVs and more the floor is filled with lots of tasks that help keeps nursing skills up, she said.
Now she spends her time as a “floating RN” in the hospital.
“You get to meet a lot of people in all areas , in all parts of their life. Maternity, surgical area, some palliative care, outpatient for day medical — that’s exciting too, you get to help a lot of people who aren’t sick enough to be in hospital, but they need that task — whether its a dressing change or IV antibiotics.”
The variety she sees is just one of many that RNs can specialize in so many different areas of care.
“We’re always learning, there’s mandatory education that we do,” she said, from certificates for palliative care, medical surgery and much more.
JANICE ROMANUCK RN/Community home care
Watching her grandmother get ready to go to work as a nurse, and her other grandmother’s comments about her always caring about the animals on a farm — it wasn’t happenstance that Janice Romanuck headed into nursing.
“My heart is in nursing,” said Romanuck, who worked as n
a critical care nurse for 23 years at the hospital and then shifted into nursing with home care. “It’s really a great diver profession for young men and women.”
diverse
Why home care? Alongside the flexibility of the schedule Romanuck explained her favourite part is bringing care to people in their homes.
“You get to see them in their environment, and help them look at the options they have to stay healthy and stay in their own homes,” she said, adding that not many people want to give up their independence.
It’s everything from helping people with dressing, wound care, bathing to looking at their environment and seeing what tools can be used to make them safer and more independent. Sometimes it’s just helping people keep better track of their medication, changing catheters, teaching how to give injections — or just being there if a patient runs into trouble and has questions.
This past Christmas break it meant providing care for people who would have otherwise had to stay in the hospital over the hospitals.
“The most fulfilling part is that if you’re able to keep someone in their home ... people just really appreciate what you do.”
96 2014 REPORT ON SOUTHEAST ALBERTA
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