Photo: Joanna Guidinger, manager of Outpatient Services at Victoria Hospital
Nursing Week shines a spotlight on health-care workers across Canada this week and one nurse at Prince Albert’s Victoria Hospital is encouraging students and future health-care professionals to explore the many benefits opportunities nursing can offer.
Joanna Guidinger, manager of Outpatient Services at Victoria Hospital, who is from Prince Albert, returned home after completing her nursing education in Saskatoon and says being able to serve the community she grew up in has been especially meaningful.
“We’re happy to be giving back to our community every day,” Guidinger said.
Her decision to pursue nursing began during a university career fair while she was still in high school. She says conversations with representatives there changed how she viewed the profession.
“They described something that was more than a job,” Guidinger said. “this is really a rewarding one[career] and something that you can really get a lot back from if you go into it with the right frame of mind.”
Now 18 years into her nursing career, now managing, is less hands on but sill works closely with nursing students who complete clinical placements at Victoria Hospital. She says mentorship and hands-on experience are important tools in helping students understand the profession and build confidence.
Victoria Hospital regularly welcomes students, offering job-shadowing opportunities for Grade 11 and 12 students and post-secondary learners interested in health care careers.
“If you’re not sure, take people up on that opportunity,” Guidinger said. “See what it’s all about.”
She says nursing offers a wide range of career paths beyond what many students initially expect, from maternity and emergency care to leadership, dialysis, chemotherapy, and community health.
While the profession comes with challenges, including shift work and long hours, Guidinger says the rewards of helping people during some of the most important moments of their lives make the work worthwhile.
Her message during Nursing Week is simple: nursing is a career where people can truly make a difference, both in their communities and in the lives of others every day.