Each month we catch up to one of our hard working and caring team members. This month we had the pleasure of finding out more about Hannah and her work at Winterberry. Enjoy this quick Q+A and join me as we thank Hannah for being part of our team!
Hannah, how long have you been with Winterberry?
I have been working at Winterberry since August 2024, so about 7 months now!
Tell us about your work at Winterberry. What’s your role?
I work as an RPN (Registered Practical Nurse) at Winterberry. My role varies from day to day as a clinic nurse. Some days I see patients for in-office appointments including administering vaccinations, checking blood pressure’s, performing procedures such as PAP’s and Diabetic appointments. Other days I work as a phone nurse triaging patients needs and facilitating appointments and referrals over the phone.
What made you want to be an RPN?
Growing up, my mother was a veterinarian who owned her own practice. I was always going into work with her in her clinic and seeing first-hand healthcare being provided to animals! I do have a love for animals, and people would always ask me if I was going to follow in my mom’s footsteps and become a vet. Although that was very tempting, I am a social butterfly through and through and wanted to work with humans as opposed to animals. Being a nurse is the best of both worlds! I get to explore my passion for healthcare and work directly with patients every day and build lasting therapeutic relationships.
What is your educational and work background?
I went to Mohawk College for the RPN program. My program was a specialty program “RPN working in Aboriginal Communities”. I had classes at McMaster as well as a rural Brantford campus.
My work background is emergency medicine. I worked as an RPN in the ER for 4 years prior to starting at Winterberry. I worked locally and did some travel nursing in rural communities in Nova Scotia working in their Emergency Departments.
What made you want to be part of the Winterberry team compared to other clinics?
What drew me to Winterberry is the team approach. Our team is composed of RPN’s, RN’s, Nurse Practitioners, Physicians, Registered Dieticians, Mental Health Counsellors, and more! We all work collaboratively together to ensure our patients receive the best healthcare possible. There are endless learning opportunities when working with such a big team. I get to see many different aspects of healthcare and learn how different specialties manage cases. I’ve learned so much in 7 months already! There are so many different moving parts to healthcare, and I feel lucky to be able to learn about other specialties in my day-to-day work as a nurse.
Is there an average day as an RPN at Winterberry?
Every day is different at the clinic. It’s always busy and my schedule changes daily! I’d say an average day includes in-office appointments where I see patients face to face. Appointments that I see most frequently include blood pressures, cervical cancer screening procedures, vaccine administration, blood work reviews, weight-management appointments, and diabetic procedural appointments. But truly, every day is different!
What is your favourite part of your job?
My favourite part about working as an RPN at Winterberry is being able to make patients feel safe and heard. Primary care is essentially preventative healthcare. A major part of what we do is to try to catch problems before they arise. With my background being emergency medicine, I was used to “reactive” healthcare, trying to fix and manage medical problems after they have already occurred. Primary care gives me the opportunity to listen to patients’ concerns and address them to the best of my ability to ensure we stop a problem before it progresses to something serious.
Another favourite part of my job are the people I work alongside. The relationships I have built with my coworkers makes me excited to come into work everyday! We have a great work environment, and I feel lucky to be a part of the team!
When you’re not helping Winterberry patients, what will we find you doing?
On my days off, you will always find me with family and friends! Whether that be hanging out in our backyard, going on walks, or having family dinner. My community is the most important thing to me!
