Jennifer Stronge
Atlin Health Centre’s Rosie O’Reilly and Jennifer Stronge
Celebrating Our Profession
What's your unit or specialty?
Atlin has a population of roughly 250-500, depending on the season. In a primary care clinic with a two-nurse station and the occasional physician visit from Whitehorse our specialty is being a generalist; we do everything from immunizations to delivering babies, suturing wounds and running codes.
How long have you been nursing?
I graduated from the University College of the Cariboo in 2003.
Why did you become a nurse and when did you know that nursing was for you?
I worked as a BC Ambulance Service ambulance attendant and ski patroller. I thought it would be great to be able to do more for people than what I could do in those roles. Nursing is also less likely to leave me with a broken leg!
How would you describe the work you do in one word?
That's a hard one. I would say "Temperamental." There are crazy highs and lows and you never know when either is coming.
How does COVID-19 make you feel?
It makes me feel uncertain. We've been very lucky to have been COVID-free here, as far as we know, but there is so much uncertainty about how the situation will progress and what our lives may look like in the near and distant future.
Name one thing on your nursing bucket list.
I feel pretty lucky to have experienced a lot of different areas having worked in Inuvik, NWT, Jackson Hole, Wyoming and several places in between. I delivered a baby here in Atlin last year – and definitely do not want to do that again!
What do you appreciate most about your fellow nurses?
I really appreciate our different backgrounds and the ability we all seem to have to support each other as we work through sometimes complex issues.
Celebrating Each Other
Why do you want to acknowledge Rosie and Delores?
"I can always count on Rosie and Dolores to make my work life better. Providing patient consults, helping troubleshoot technical difficulties, going on lunchtime runs or just sharing laughs!
"I am the newest one in this facility and both Rosie and Dolores have been quick to offer reassurance and camaraderie. They have been fantastic in supporting me through the learning curve of a new environment, not just in the health centre but in making me feel welcome in the community.
"Rosie and I go for skis or runs at lunch which is a great way to decompress and Dolores is often providing produce from her beautiful garden or home cooked meals. We all share some great laughs. These two make me feel valued as a nurse and a person."•