OHN
1. WHAT IS YOUR SCOPE?
OHN
2. HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED WITH IPS?
Two and a half years
3. WHAT TYPES OF SCHEDULES HAVE YOU WORKED?
2 weeks on and 2 weeks off
4. WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND BEFORE TRAINING?
Before I became an OHN, I was a critical care nurse, before that I was a licensed practical care nurse, nursed most of my life.
5. WHAT TYPES OF LOCATIONS HAVE YOU WORKED AT?
I have worked most disciplines, ICU, ER, Med Surg, General, IMCU, Cardiac Unit, Home Care, Public Health, Palliative Care, Nursing Home, Renal Care, Remote Nursing
6. WHAT IS CAMP LIFE LIKE IN REMOTE SETTINGS?
Camp life is fine, we are here to work , the food is good and the camp is clean, there are laundry facilities available, there is wifi available and there is a gym and recreation activities available to help with down time.
7. IS REMOTE MEDICAL WORK CHALLENGING AND REWARDING?
The challenges is not having all the diagnostics tools to make a conclusive diagnoses, but the most challenging is being 2 hours away from a hospital. There are many rewards; autonomy, improving your assessment skills, case management, being able to see the end results of your work, having people come up to you to say thanks you, and the best reward is knowing that we provided the best care to ensure a positive outcome for our clients.
8. WHAT TYPE OF CASES DO YOU TYPICALLY SEE?
We see a lot of cold and flu cases( including otitis medias and pharyngitis), muscle strains and sprains, hypertension, cardiac incidents, occupational injuries.
9. WHAT ARE YOUR CO-WORKERS LIKE?
We are a close net group as we spend a lot of time together, and as in any small work group there can be personality conflicts, however for the most part we have a positive, professional work environment. We are a team that rely on each other, and we work well together to provide safe and optimal care to our clients.
10. IF AND WHEN YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN, HOW DO YOU HANDLE AN INCIDENT?
Safety is utmost for both me and my client. I would assess my client, call for back-up and provide the best possible care within my cope of practice.
11. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU PASS ON TO OTHERS LOOKING TO WORK IN THIS ENVIRONMENT?
This environment is not for everyone, it can be a lonely place as you are away from home 2 weeks at a time. But this lifestyle can be exhilarating, and rewarding. We are fortunate to have access to our medical director, and our medical QA educator , but you need excellent assessment skills, the ability to critically think in stressful situations, and the ability to work alone as well as in a team setting. As a nurse, we rely on other discipline with in the hospital , however in a camp setting, you have to rely greatly on your knowledge and experience and that of your co-workers, therefore emergency experience is an asset.
