We Are IH: Salmon Arm nursing unit assistant finds job rewarding

February 2, 2023

Left to right: Jacqueline’s husband Erwin, Jacqueline, Jacqueline’s son Christopher and Christopher’s wife.

Name: Jacqueline Stewart (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Nursing unit assistant
Years of Service: 10
Worksite: Shuswap Lake General Hospital
Community: Salmon Arm
Ancestral Territory: Secwépemc Nation
Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: I was born ready!

Jacqueline Stewart was born in Kamloops at Royal Inland Hospital and moved to North Vancouver when she was eight. A happy-go-lucky person who is always ready for adventure, she set off for California with a girlfriend in their Volkswagen van the day after Jacqueline’s 21st birthday. They lived in beautiful Santa Barbara for three years before Jacqueline returned to North Vancouver, where she raised her two children.

Eleven years ago, Jacqueline decided to go back to school and start a new career. She chose to go into the medical field and earned her nursing unit course certificate. She’s now been working at Shuswap Lake Hospital for 10 years.

In this Story…

Learn more about her journey with IH

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Learn more about her journey with IH

A woman with blonde hair wearing a black sleeveless shirt, black pants and a green fanny pack. — Jacqueline soaking up the sun in Puerto Vallarta.

Jacqueline says she finds her job "very rewarding."

My job is demanding but, at the end of the day, I know I have helped a lot of people. The best part by far is when a newborn is brought into the world. I work with a lot of great people and have made many friends.

-- Jacqueline Stewart

Jacqueline is happy with her choice to work in health care, being able to help people in the moments they can't help themselves. “It has opened my eyes in so many ways. I am grateful to work with so many inspiring people.”

Jacqueline’s two children are Jocelyn, an avid traveller currently living in Mexico, and Christopher, a computer electrical engineer. Christopher has provided Jacqueline a grand-dog so far (Ollie), and she’s waiting patiently for grandchildren.

A small brown dog with wiry fur, with white paws, underbelly and nose. — Jacqueline’s grand-dog, Ollie.

Jacqueline also recently married her boyfriend of 15 years, Erwin, which she describes as the “best day ever!!!”

In her spare time, Jacqueline enjoys paddle boarding, going for long walks with friends, outdoor lunches in the sun, and reading a good book.

A man with grey hair on the left wearing a black suit, with his right leg up while standing on the left, and holding an umbrella, facing a woman with blonde hair in a wedding dress, holding a bouquet of white and yellow flowers, with her left leg up while standing on the right. — Jacqueline and Erwin on their wedding day.

A little known fact is that Jacqueline is also an author. She wrote a children's book about alopecia. “When I was in my early 30s I got alopecia. I was given a journal from a good friend and put my daily feelings down. I took those feelings, turned my frown upside down and turned my thoughts into a book. Very rewarding.”