We Are IH: Saluting nursing staff across B.C. Interior

Name: Kennedie Lentz (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Registered Nurse, Infectious Disease Clinic and Home IV program
Years of Service: 6
Worksite: Royal Inland Hospital
Community: Kamloops
Ancestral Territory: T'Kemlups Nation
Advice to live by: In the words of Peter Pan, "Here we goooooo!"

Kennedie knew from a young age that she wanted to work in health care. Her father lived with a chronic illness, so she and her family were at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) often. This exposure to the hospital and clinical world led Kennedie to pursue her interests in health care. She joined the Candy Striper (youth volunteer) program from 2010-2013, then volunteered in the RIH intensive care unit (ICU), cancer clinic, renal unit and mobile cart.

She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Thompson Rivers University in 2017, was hired by Interior Health in the step-down (discharge) unit, and completed her critical care certification. She then spent five great years in the ICU.

Today, Kennedie is a registered nurse (RN) in the Infectious Disease Clinic and Home IV program.

“In my role in outpatient care, I am stretching my nursing skills and outlook on the health-care system as a whole being; this is work I have never experienced. It’s exciting to see all that we offer our community before people need acute care services. With my career goals, this is a great position to learn in!”

Kennedie is also perusing her Master of Nursing through Athabasca University with a focus in leadership and education of digital health.

“I like to think I'm caring and driven, as well as open to and excited for change! I love nursing, my family and friends, and my community. I also have a very deep passion for organ donation and transplantation, as the family member of a recipient.”

In her spare time, Kennedie spends time with her husband, family and friends hiking, wine touring, and practicing yoga.

Name: James Waight (he/him/his)
Job Title: Infection Control Practitioner
Years of Service: 11
Worksite: Nicola Valley Hospital
Communities: Merritt, Ashcroft, Lillooet, Lytton and Williams Lake
Ancestral Territory: T'Kemlups Nation
Advice to live by: No matter how bad it seems right now, suck it up and make it home! 

James Waight is a registered nurse and has been on a career journey with Interior Health for more than 10 years. He has worked in acute care, long-term care, forensics, and community, and is now an infection control practitioner. He lives in Kamloops, but works out of Nicola Valley Hospital, serving people and patients in the communities of Merritt, Ashcroft, Lillooet, Lytton and Williams Lake.

“Sometimes I miss the task-oriented days of nursing care, including the interaction with patients, and especially wound care, but this role allows me to create connections in multiple communities and facilities. Experience in life is everything to me, so having access to even a few moments of somebody else’s day provides me an opportunity to find common ground, and hopefully improve my ability to support whoever calls on me.”

Infection control practitioners work to help facilities and staff keep patients safe from infections. This may include sharing and promoting of standards for building, maintaining and renovating our sites; reviewing patients to ensure appropriate precautions are in place; and providing staff with support they can use to keep themselves out of the chain of infection.

James says he had a “blue-collar upbringing” in Port Moody, and when he had the opportunity to leave the coast, he did… quickly!

For people interested in a nursing career, James offers this advice: “Nursing is often about being a part of peoples’ worst days. Most of us get a kick out of somehow improving that day, but we all benefit from the constant reminder to enjoy every other day.”

In his life outside of work, James enjoys camping, hunting, fishing, golfing, building things, and having a good conversation about world affairs, politics and climate science – or just how ridiculous people can be. He hopes to one day live half the year in a place where he can be surrounded by palm trees – real ones!

Name: Lea Shortreed (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Home Care Nurse
Years of Service: 15
Worksite: Penticton Health Centre
Communities: Penticton
Ancestral Territory: Syilx Nation
Advice to live by: Speak the truth and treat others with good intention.

Lea Shortreed made her move to Penticton from North Burnaby shortly after writing her registered nursing exam.

“I saw an Interior Health recruitment poster on the school wall looking for nurses in Penticton. When I called the recruiting office they said, ‘when can you start?!’ I asked my husband if he wanted to move and he said ‘heck yes,’ and we haven’t looked back.”

Today, Lea is a home care nurse at the Penticton Health Centre. Her day consists of seeing clients in the Penticton community, providing a variety of care needs, such as: wound care, catheter and IV care, pleurx tubes, aspen collars, teaching and much more.

“Community care nurses connect with clients and their family, and link them to the resources they may need. We work with an interdisciplinary team including case managers, occupational and physical therapists, social workers and physicians.

“I am inspired by seeing clients achieve their goals, which could include healing, learning, getting well or dying a peaceful/comfortable death.”

One of her proudest moments was on the surgical unit at Penticton Regional Hospital (PRH) – the place where she began her career with IH.

For people interested in a nursing career, Lea suggests beginning in a hospital setting. She says it sets a good foundation for how to do assessments and practice skills.

“The medical system has its up and downs, but it's the people that can really make a difference in how you get through some of those days. I really enjoy working with others that bring positive energy and that work hard.”

In her life outside of work, Lea enjoys hiking with her husband and three dogs, and spending time with family. She also has chickens and a big garden.

She is looking forward to hiking the Inca Trail in Machu Picchu with her husband in October.

This week is brought to us by the Canadian Nurses Association. It brings attention to nurses, increasing the awareness of the public, policy-makers and governments of the many contributions of nursing to the well-being of Canadians.

In 1971, the International Council of Nurses designated May 12, the birthday of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, as International Nurses Day. In 1985, Canadian Nurses Association members passed a resolution to begin negotiations with the federal government to have the week containing May 12 proclaimed as National Nurses Week annually. Soon after, the federal minister of health proclaimed the second week of May as National Nurses Week. In 1993, the name was changed to National Nursing Week to emphasize the profession's accomplishments as a discipline.

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