Since this is day three of my northern experience, it is time to update all my local blog readers and post a few pictures for those who don't (or won't) have Facebook. It has been a busy few days, which is a good thing for someone trying to gain experience.
First to explain my job here north of 60 - over 69 degrees north actually - as a Community Health Nurse or CHN (pronounced chin) which has an expanded scope of practice. This means that many of the things which nurses 'down south' know and would be able to do aren't done because they are either Nurse Practitioner or physician roles. So today, after over 36 years of writing RN after my name I have diagnosed otitis media (ear infection) and prescribed and dispensed amoxicillin 500 mg TID (three times per day) x 10 days. We do a variety of tasks such as ordering lab tests or xrays without a physician's order, give telephone advice, consult with specialists, suture, glue and staple, apply back slabs (partial casts) and do debridements (removal of dead tissue) amongst other things. I haven't even had the time to read the manual yet. But one thing is clear even in these early days. It would sure be a huge switch to southern nursing after these weeks.
First a few photos and then an overview of the past few days:
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| First Air 20 seater turboprop |
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| Nurses residence |
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| Apartment 201 |
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| What goes in comes out |
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| CHN 5s office at the CHC |
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| Yes it has snowed more than once |
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| And no I didn't buy them |
So, now you know how I arrived, where I live, work and how I do my laundry and what I don't buy for supper here, oh and that it's snowed a few times already. There are no secrets with the internet to share all and so I'm well aware that it was over 20 c today 'at home' while I muttered to myself about not having my mittens on when I walked one block to the bank this evening. I feel miles away from home - oh wait I am - but yet as unusual as it is, many things are the same. I am beginning to get to know a few people - mostly employees at the Health Center and they are friendly and chatty when I meet them outside of work. Treating people as humans works the same here.
It has been a busy few days where I've met most of the RCMP members posted here as well as seeing lots of children. Of course I don't enjoy that feeling of not knowing where to find things or how the process works here as change never comes easy. I am beginning to find my way a bit though and the nursing part is the simple piece of it (except for the expanded scope of practice) as opposed to not being able to find a bandaid. I am working my way around the charts, the new form of Meditech, lab reqs, the phone advice and the local guttural accents but the names are very problematic for me and it sure makes it tough to look up a chart when you've guessed at the spelling. My mentor Bertha (from St Anthony's Newfoundland) is very patient - I think that's why she was assigned to be my mother - and is a very experienced, smart nurse. She is surprised at my energy and lack of fuss about missing lunch "I'm used to missing breaks" I tell her "I'm an ER nurse" and I do 12 hr shifts so running a bit late isn't a big deal. There is so much less crap than in the southern world - if it makes sense you do it, if not you don't. I feel as if I've been given a huge gift to broaden my practice this way.
And the financial compensation isn't too shabby either. I've discovered that I get paid mileage to and from the airport as well as being paid salary plus overtime on days I fly, hotels, taxis, meals and get met at the airport by staff. When I do on call we get a minimum four hours for first call back - even if it should be 15 minutes (this has been something I've worked 36 years as an RN and watched lab and xray claim) and then time and a half after that with double time on Sunday. There should be some serious cash waiting for me at the end of this rainbow.
Well, must run as I've had a call from a patient so am heading over to work, later gators
