A Sundre High School graduate who is pursuing a path in medicine was among a group of Red Deer College students who recently participated in a skills event hosted at the local hospital.
Amanda Mifsud, who is originally from Sundre but is currently residing in Olds for the duration of her program, was among about 50 nursing students from the college who on Oct. 5-6 attended the educational opportunity.
The weekend was facilitated in partnership with health professionals from the Sundre region as well as the Rural Health Professions Action Plan (RhPAP), the Sundre Health Professions Attraction and Retention Committee, and Alberta Health Services.
The 24-year-old, who graduated from the local high school in 2013, said during a phone interview that her primary focus on a future career is in rural nursing.
She started her courses for a Bachelor of Science and Nursing degree in 2016. Now in her third year on a fast track to complete her fourth, she aspires to eventually seek out employment opportunities in the area after she completes her college program by Christmas next year. But first, Mifsud said she will have to pass a licensing exam to become a registered nurse.
Serving as a volunteer member of the Sundre Fire Department during her time in high school as well as a period afterwards played a pivotal role in forging her future plans.
“I found the medical calls were super interesting for me,” she said.
“That compelled me to look into health care.”
Considering a few educational options, Mifsud said she applied to a few institutions such as MacEwan University, Mount Royal University, and Red Deer College, which being the closest to home she ended up selecting.
While she hopes to find a job working either in Olds or ideally in Sundre, Mifsud said she’d be glad to find any opportunities in a rural setting.
“But I’m really hoping for Sundre,” she added.
The skills event, she said, provided an amazing opportunity to gain practical hands-on experience in the field.
“I learned so much about rural nursing and all of the different roles that rural nurses have.”
Whereas positions with a unit on the floor of a city hospital are typically more specialized, she said nurses working in a rural setting must have a broad base of knowledge that prepares them for a wide variety of situations.
In recognition of that reality, the nurse skills event at the Sundre Hospital and Care Centre featured the following stations: IV starts, STARS Mobile Education Unit, obstetrics, cardiac, trauma, suturing, and intubation.
“They were all so fun,” she said when asked which was her favourite.
“But I think the obstetrics station was really interesting for me.”
Having not previously experienced any aspects of maternity nursing, she said the introduction, which under the guidance of instructor Irma van den Hadelkamp involved a simulated childbirth, was fascinating.
“She showed us how a child would be delivered in Sundre’s hospital,” said Mifsud, adding guidelines to determine whether a mother is eligible to give birth in Sundre were also explained. While the local hospital can accommodate low or no risk pregnancies, any complications or issues would result in a transfer to either Olds or Red Deer, she said.
“It was neat to see how it works in a smaller hospital,” she said, praising the instructor’s performance.
Expressing gratitude for the experience, Mifsud said she and her counterparts, who included not only registered nursing but also practical nursing students, learned a lot.
“I actually made a lot of friends,” she said, adding the event provided an opportunity to learn as well as network.
“The intent of the post-secondary skills weekend,” reads an RhPAP press release, “is to encourage future health-care professionals to consider a career in rural Alberta and learn about the local opportunities available.”
Students were extended the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the instructors about health-related careers in the community, health-care provider job experiences, and the educational requirements for specific careers in health care, a portion of the statement reads.
RhPAP sponsors and schedules similar events, such as for high school and post-secondary students, throughout the year in communities across rural Alberta in conjunction with the RhPAP Rural Community Consultant team.
