Ten years ago, Sue Cavanaugh relocated to Kitimat and started working for Northern Health as a health care aide. Since then, she and her family have come to call Kitimat home. Sue has grown her career in the North through advanced education to become a registered nurse (RN), and she has recently obtained her Emergency Specialty. We recently chatted with Sue about her education journey and why she chose to stay in Kitimat.
Tell us a bit about yourself!
I started my career with Northern Health as a health care aide after transferring from Interior Health in 2014. When I’m not working, I like to go camping, spend time with my awesome family and friends (who keep me grounded), and take the occasional road trip. I live in Kitimat with my husband and daughter, and I also have two stepsons who reside in Kelowna.
What inspired you to pursue a career in nursing?
Approximately 10 years into my health care career, I knew I wanted to continue my education and become a nurse. After deciding, I waited a couple of years, as I absolutely loved my time working with patients and residents in my care aide position, and knew I needed to wait until my daughter was older before returning to school. Once the time was right for me and my family, I started by tackling all the prerequisite courses needed for admission to nursing school.
I started my path to nursing school in 2018 by completing a year of upgrading. During that time, and for my first year of nursing school at Coast Mountain College (CMC) - Terrace campus, I also worked full-time as a health care aide. I completed the first two years at CMC and then did my third and fourth year at UNBC’s Terrace campus. Once my second year of nursing school was complete, I was hired as an employed student nurse.
After completing the Northern Collaborative Baccalaureate Nursing Program in 2022, I worked for a year in acute care at Kitimat General Hospital (KGH). Then, in September 2023, I started the Emergency Specialty Education offered by Northern Health and completed it in March of 2024. I am now working full time as a registered nurse in the Emergency Department (ED) in Kitimat.
How do you think your recent advanced education has benefited the community of Kitimat?
When the Emergency Specialty Education lines came out there were two options for the course – the University of Northern BC (UNBC) or the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). I was initially unsure which one to apply for, so I applied for both and was offered a seat in both courses. I ultimately chose UNBC, as I would end up working in this community that I love, full of the people that I love! I knew the team at KGH, so I knew I would be rejoining them and have great support around me as I started this new chapter in my career. The fact that I am one more primary ER nurse in a full-time line means we are on service interruption less and less often, which helps address an ongoing concern in the community.
How does working in your home community impact your approach to patient care?
Working in the community that I live in allows me to have insight into some people and their situations when they first walk in, even before I ask them a single question. It’s a huge benefit to be a familiar face in the ER, as there is an already established rapport and as a natural “people person,” I have the ability to determine if another nurse on duty would be better suited for providing care to someone. Different nurses have different styles and are sometimes a better fit. People are generally more at ease with a familiar face, and I’ve found this to be true time and time again.
What advice would you give to nurses considering working in Northern BC?
Many Northern communities are rural, so the role nurses get to play covers many specialized areas. It’s a great setting to grow your nursing skillset! There are no special teams to perform codes and no IV nurses to do your pokes for you. You can be minutes into a code before the doctor has arrived, and it’s up to you to continue to run it until it’s over.
The whole interdisciplinary team in Kitimat is amazing, genuinely supportive, and has your back. It’s a wonderful opportunity for nurses to come and work in a setting where great people make up a wonderful team to collectively provide amazing care! Rural practice isn’t for everyone, but anyone who tried it would know quickly if they missed the city – LOL!
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Thank you for chatting with us, Sue!
In conclusion, we celebrate Sue on her academic accomplishments over her time with Northern Health – her commitment to the community of Kitimat is valued by her leaders and colleagues!
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