Health care offers a broad range of career opportunities, many of which are not well known, particularly to high school students. Adventures in Healthcare helps Grade 10 and 11 students explore health care careers, showing them what day-to-day working life looks like and which educational paths to follow.
It’s currently offered in Prince George, Terrace/Kitimat, and the Peace Region. The Peace Region’s program took place May 13-15, with 36 students from Fort St. John and Dawson Creek attending (18 from each city). The students learned about educational pathways to careers in health care and spoke with people from local post-secondary institutions who can help and support them on their journeys.
Adventures in Healthcare is a Rotary initiative featuring partnerships with the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), Northern Lights College (NLC), Northern Health, School District 59 (South Peace), School District 60 (North Peace), the Rotary Club of Fort St. John, and the Rotary Club of Fort St. John - Sunrise.
The program featured a variety of settings where the students were welcome to observe, learn, participate, ask questions – and enjoy!
Day one:
The students spent the morning at the Fort St. John campus of UNBC/NLC, where they were introduced to the Northern Baccalaureate Nursing program and participated in a variety of activities in the nursing lab. In the afternoon, they learned about the wide variety of roles and career paths available in the field of social work.
Day two:
The students spent the morning in the Health Sciences Building at the NLC’s Dawson Creek campus, where they learned about two health programs, Health Care Assistant and Practical Nursing. In the afternoon, they attended presentations on the construction of the new Dawson Creek & District Hospital and on supports for addiction and mental health in the Peace Region. Finally, they toured Rotary Manor, a long-term care facility in Dawson Creek.
Day three:
This day focused on Fort St. John Hospital. In the morning, the students visited UBC’s Faculty of Medicine, the Multifunction Lab, Medical Imaging, the Emergency Department (including the Clinical Decision Unit and Intensive Care Unit), and the Peace Villa long-term care facility. In the afternoon, they visited the Inpatient Unit, Physio/Occupational Therapy, Surgical Services, and the Birthing Centre.
From homework to health care, Adventures in Healthcare aims to support and encourage students to choose a pathway towards health care … and hopefully, to return to practice their careers in our Northern communities!
Lunches for the students were provided by UNBC, NLC and the City of Fort St. John, and breakfasts by Dan Davies, MLA, Peace River North Constituency Office.
Adventures in Healthcare would not be possible without these partners:
- The University of Northern British Columbia (Fort St. John Campus)
- The Rotary Club of Fort St. John
- The Rotary Club of Fort St. John - Sunrise
Northern Lights College (Fort St. John & Dawson Creek)
Fun was had by all, and hopefully some of these students will be working as health care professionals in the Peace Region soon! - School District 59 (South Peace Secondary School)
- School District 60 (North Peace Secondary School)
- Northern Health (Dawson Creek & District Hospital, Rotary Manor, Fort St. John Hospital and Peace Villa)
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