Lauren has been working as a registered dietitian in Fort St. John since she graduated in June 2023. She attended the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon and has a degree in nutrition from its College of Pharmacy and Nutrition.
Once she graduated, Lauren was looking to work in a rural community because she wanted more independent work with room to grow, in a full-time, permanent position. Fort St. John offered all of this, and more!
One of the biggest draws to this role was the opportunity for growth, the chance to make the position her own, and the potential to move into other areas of dietetics in the future, such as the hospital or a community setting.
“Since I’ve started, management has been very open to me learning, looking to grow or specialize, or to stay and be happy where I am. They’re just excited to have new grads to bring in new excitement,” says Lauren.
Coming from doing her practicum in Saskatoon, Lauren was used to working with a much larger team. However, moving to the smaller community of Fort St. John, Lauren has noticed that the team she works with is great about communicating with each other, they’re all very close, and they all care about the work they do.
The transition from a larger city to Fort St. John was a little difficult when it came to different charting styles, but the community of practice of dietitians across Northern Health has been helpful when it comes to figuring things out, and they’re very open to her asking questions.
“The teams are very flexible when you start,” says Lauren. “They make sure you're not going to burn out, they help you prioritize mental health and physical health, and they encourage breaks when needed.”
The management team has been incredible at understanding and listening, she says.
“There are not many dietitians in the community, so everyone is close, and we have monthly meetings with all dietitians in Northern Health,” says Lauren. “I can always contact others for questions.”
Lauren is also excited at the opportunity for growth and to become a leader at Northern Health.
“There are a lot of positions open and room to grow,” she said. “I also love how I am involved in so much work and get to choose what work I want to do and be involved in. My manager is also open to supporting me in leadership growth and development.”
In addition to feeling welcomed at work, Lauren has loved living in Fort St. John so far.
“I love the willingness for people to help when you want to try something new,” says Lauren. “If I raise an interest in hiking, backpacking, canoeing, there are always people suggesting places to go when you want to try something new so you can get to know the North.”
Check out more information about the community of Fort St. John!
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