Cindi graduated from the BN program in 2013 and shares a bit about her journey through senior practicum and into the role of Registered Nurse:

“I landed my first RN position in the float pool at Children’s hospital. More than a few nurses cringe when I tell them that I really enjoyed the work. To some, it’s a daunting thought to not have a “home”, but as a new RN I had not favoured a particular patient population yet and this gave me the opportunity to use my full range of skills with medicine, surgical and emergency patients. If you are a “go with the flow” type of person who enjoys a dynamic day, this may be a great job to start with to find your niche.

Currently, I work at Children’s Hospital in the pediatric intensive care unit. I have been here since April 2014, and have learned so much from the job and the great team I work with.

In the future, I plan to return to northern nursing. The experience I had during senior practice was unreal; like nothing I experienced during school or even now as an RN in the hospital. I found myself working with a wide variety of patients: children, older adults, chronic health issues, sexual health counseling, well babies, pre and post natal care, emergency care, and even medevacs. Getting to know the members of the community and seeing them at their best and worst, you really make a connection”.

Cindi also shares a bit of what she learned along the way that she wished she had known while she was a student:

“I wish someone would have told me how long it can take to be hired within WRHA. I was lucky enough to complete my senior practice in a northern nursing station (which was the best experience!). However, this left me without my foot in a Winnipeg hospital door. I was one of the last to secure a job after graduation- 3 of the longest months of my life; I applied for 63 jobs. My friends and family were very supportive, but nothing had prepared me for the disappointment I frequently felt during that period”.

And her words of wisdom and encouragement as current students venture forth:

“Ask questions…a lot of them…especially in your first few months. Maybe this isn’t the case for every unit- but I’ve worked on every unit in Children’s Hospital, and I have never received a negative response to asking questions.

I learn something new every single day. There is so much to know and things change quickly. It’s important to be flexible, and open to new information”.