Nestled in the heart of the Nicola Valley, the City of Merritt is a beautiful place to call home and explore a career in health care. With its wide array of outdoor recreation activities and more laid back lifestyle, the rural centre has something for everyone.
The Country Music Capital of Canada, located about two hours north of Metro Vancouver, is exponentially more affordable than many places in B.C. While the average sale price for a home in Metro Vancouver hit $1.27 million in July 2023, the average prices in Merritt sit around $575,000.
Why staff love to call Merritt home
Sarah Hoggard moved to Merritt this summer to work at Nicola Valley Hospital (NVH) as a lab technician. While affordability, family and lifestyle were drawing features, Sarah ultimately moved to Merritt for the position with NVH.
We love Merritt. The scenery is top notch. I don’t think you can top the nature around here. There is lots to do in your off time like hiking, biking, kayaking, fishing, camping. I could go on.
The hospital’s clinical operations manager Mark Bagabuyo says Nicola Valley Hospital’s size and location offers a unique opportunity to experience working in a wide variety of departments and roles.
“One of the allures of working in these rural communities is you have a broader scope of practice compared to some health-care facilities where you’re more specialized,” said Mark.
However, he says for health-care workers looking to build on and specialize in certain skills, there are opportunities as well.
“Our emergency room is our big draw to the hospital. It’s one of the more specialized units in Merritt. We have four in-patient beds and we have a two-bed trauma room,” noted Mark. “Being right along the Coquihalla Highway, we see a lot of emergencies come through Nicola Valley Hospital, giving nurses and others that first-hand experience dealing with trauma patients.”
There are staff like Deb Boone who has been a nursing unit clerk at NVH since 1990. She believes strongly in the hospital and puts her heart and soul into her work because of what it means to the community.
“This is my home, this is my family’s home, so we want to give it all we can,” said Deb, who says many of her colleagues, whether from Merritt or elsewhere, come to work with that same mentality.
I’m a resident and I plan to retire here. We want to have the facility here to help people when they’re in need and make the community a thriving place to be.
Recruitment incentives
There are many reasons to join the health-care team in Merritt, but one is the unique rural incentives offered by Interior Health and the province of B.C.
- $10,000 signing bonus for eligible Registered Nurses
- Relocation allowance for eligible applicants
- Eligible employees can benefit from the B.C. Loan Forgiveness Program with up to 20 per cent of the loan paid per year over a five-year period
Make your move to Merritt
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