Salt Spring Island to Fort Nelson
My first assignment with GoHealth BC was on Saltspring Island, a lovely community with beautiful ocean views, beaches, and a relaxed lifestyle. Being on one of the most beautiful of the Gulf Islands was a wonderful change of pace. The staff and the patients were friendly, kind, and welcoming. It was a pleasant experience to be able to sit and talk with my patients and feel like I had the time to really care for their whole person.
After that assignment, I was asked to work in Fort Nelson for a short 10-day placement. I was happy to go since I had worked in Fort Nelson years ago as a new grad and I was happy to help the hospital avoid a service interruption.
During my first shift, I was told that there were two forest fires outside of town and that we’d be put on evacuation alert in case the fires started to move in our direction. I finished my night shift, went to bed, and hoped that the fires would stay far from town.
When I woke up, I stepped outside to see a massive plume of smoke dangerously close to Fort Nelson. When I went to the hospital, I was welcomed by dozens of people packing boxes and urgently talking on the phone, readying the hospital for evacuation. I was told that I should go fill the car up with gas and pack my belongings, so I did.
By the time I returned to the hospital to help, the patients’ families had been alerted, and plans were in place to take four wards, one ER, and seven long-term care patients out of town.
Evacuating the hospital
Within a couple of hours, the ambulatory and semi-ambulatory patients had been loaded onto a school bus and the other five non-ambulatory patients were waiting for ambulance and air ambulance transport. GoHealth BC nurse Maria Sunico and another agency nurse volunteered to ride on the bus with the residents as they travelled to Dawson Creek. Their selfless and considerate decision resulted in quality care and attention for our patients, which I was grateful for.
By about 9 pm, we were told that if the winds didn’t shift within the next 90 minutes, the fire would likely reach town. We were also informed that we had to be out of the hospital by 11 pm, because by midnight the hospital might not exist anymore.
With that information, all we could do was wait for the ambulances to come and get the remaining patients. By this time the only people left were me, the staff nurse, the program lead, two administrators, and the maintenance department. We all waited anxiously and wondered if everyone had evacuated the town safely.
By 11 pm, all but two patients had been evacuated. A plane had been sent from Alberta and another plane was dropping off a patient and coming back immediately. By 1 am, the fire had shifted and was no longer heading directly to town. Once the last patient evacuated, we did one final hospital check, locked the doors, and got ourselves out to safety as well.
I thought about my experience in Fort Nelson considerably over the following days. It was an exciting deployment full of adrenaline, adventure, and new experiences.
An unforgettable night of teamwork and support
I want to express my appreciation for the Fort Nelson hospital staff: I was so impressed with their calm, professional, and caring demeanour during a time that could have been chaotic and difficult. Working closely with EHS and the Patient Transfer Network was a great experience. I was impressed with the professionals I had only just met, and I was proud to work alongside such competent staff.
Finally, I want to express gratitude to my GoHealth BC team. Cyrille (Cy) was not only my program lead, but the program lead for all three of us GoHealth BC nurses who were in Fort Nelson at the time. I had sent Cy a message alerting her that we were being evacuated. She checked in multiple times during the night until she knew we were all safe – long after her work shift had completed. She was caring and thoughtful and I appreciated her concern.
The next morning, we exchanged phone calls and texts with Cy and Joanne, one of our administrative assistants, trying to figure out where to go and how we could finish our contracts. They quickly booked us Airbnbs and we felt well cared for. I am so thankful for the teamwork and communication we received from them.
Thank you to everyone who made us feel valued and cared for during a stressful adventure. From Maria showing up for her first shift and then immediately going on a bus with patients to another town, to witnessing amazing hospital staff making sure we had snacks, water, and a safe way out of town, this was a remarkable experience. Furthermore, I will never forget watching the glow of the growing fire from the parking lot and the amazing northern lights in the sky above.
I look forward to more deployments in the future with GoHealth BC, perhaps next time with a little bit less adventure!
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