| May 8, 2006 | Back to List | Print this Page  | | Quest for Knowledge Leads to Sundre | | by Jennifer Isaac |  Last November, Sundre residents cheered good-naturedly as registered nurse (RN) Bill Carr modeled thrift store fashions during a charity fundraiser held at the local arts centre. The warm reception illustrates one of the benefits of rural nursing Carr has grown to appreciate since the Sundre Hospital and Care Centre hired him last year.
A former sheet metal worker, Carr is at ease with the town's population of mostly ranchers, loggers and oilfield workers. In fact, he is one of two male nurses employed in Sundre.
"I had an epiphany a few years ago," Carr explains. "I was standing at the end of an extension ladder one winter, in -30 degree weather, and I decided I wanted to apply my previous educational experience and interpersonal communication skills to a more relevant occupation."
Equipped with bachelor of science in anthropology, Carr enrolled in the bachelor of nursing accelerated track program at the University of Calgary. The idea may have been sparked by the stories his grandfather recounted about his experience as a field ambulance attendant during World War II. "I pretty much wanted to be just like him," Carr says.
As a child, he was like most boys his age, pretending he was a cowboy or asoldier and playing as many sports as he could. "I never played nurse though," he laughs. "Everyone kept telling me that I could do anything, if I put my mind to it," he recalls. "I proceeded to think of just about everything." His family and friends were supportive when he decided to study nursing, giving him a pat on the back and a hearty 'good for you, go for it, Billy!'
Carr worked in construction to put himself through university and landed a job at the Sundre Hospital after he graduated last spring.. He works alongside 32 other RNs and 18 licenced practical nurses in the rural facility which has 13 acute care beds and 15 long-term care beds.
Rural nursing appealed to Carr because of the variety of experiences it offered. "Several specialty areas of nursing interest me, including emergency, psychiatric and cardiovascular nursing," he says. "Working at a rural hospital provides a well-rounded experience."
Site coordinator Bonnie Jones, agrees. "Rural nursing is always exciting. What makes it so hectic here is the tourism, the oil-and-gas sector and Highway 22."
Jones describes Carr as "just a whip."
"He's a really good fit for us," she says. "He has universal rapport and has the complete respect of his co-workers and the physicians who work here."
"I received a pretty warm welcome from physicians and nurses alike at the Sundre Hospital," he says. "The only remarkable reactions come from patients when I introduce myself as an RN. Sometimes Ill get a raised eyebrow and a surprised-sounding, "oh really?"
Carr believes in the need for a diverse health-care workforce. "That is, diversity with regard to gender, culture, ethnicity, and overall, the knowledge gained from different life experiences," he says. "Nurses with different knowledge bases will undoubtedly contribute different strengths to the profession."
In the future, Carr hopes to obtain certification in post-basic emergency nurse training. "Plus, I'd like to get an inter-disciplinary masters in anthropology and nursing, leading to a joint career in an academic setting and a clinical practice in critical care."
"Bill has such tremendous aptitude," adds site supervisor Bonnie Jones. "He's on a constant quest for knowledge."
In addition to his regular shifts at the hospital, Carr works as a research associate for nurse researcher Dr. Kathryn King at the University of Calgary.
"If more young men consider nursing as a career option earlier in their lives," says Bill, "these individuals may have the opportunity to enjoy a rewarding career and bring their individual strengths to the table."
Just the fact of being male can sometimes help build the trust between nurse and patient. As a student nurse, Carr was assigned to the Calgary Remand Centre. "The inmates loved my tattoo," he chuckles. "It's basically just a decoration, a tribal design from Borneo with the Christian fish in the centre."
His current job offers it own kind of rewards. "The other day, I picked up a copy of the local newspaper, and a family had written a small thank-you note to the staff at Sundre Hospital," Carr says. "I had been the primary nurse for this family during the delivery of their child and, in short, it was really encouraging to read that I had helped them during such an important part of their lives."
"I consider myself lucky to have an opportunity to share some of the most difficult and important life experiences - such as labour and delivery - with people in Sundre." | | For more information, please contact: | | Carla Howatt | | College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta | | 1-800-252-9392 | | chowatt@nurses.ab.ca | | http://www.nurses.ab.ca |
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