Are you an experienced nurse with recent acute care experience, looking for your next challenge? The challenge could be closer than you think! VCH is actively recruiting for home health nurses to join our Downtown Eastside Vancouver team where excitement and building meaningful relationships is just part of the job. Home health nurses work in the community to partner with clients and their families to promote, protect and preserve health and prevent disease and injury. Nurses build their expertise in a specialty area (such as wound care, palliative care, chronic disease management and mental health and addictions care) and work with a high degree of autonomy to initiate strategies that will address the determinants of health and positively impact people and their community.

A nurse’s perspective

Lucy Hotchkiss, home health nurse at Pender Community Health Centre, recently transitioned from acute care to community where she provides wound care and chronic disease management to clients in the Downtown Eastside Vancouver community.

Achieve a good work/life balance while helping those most in need

For Lucy, the decision to move to community nursing meant she could spend more time with her son and achieve a good work/life balance. “I only work regular day shifts (7.5 hours) and few weekend shifts. It really works for my personal life,” she says.

But that’s just part of the reason – Lucy has fulfilled her passion for providing compassionate care and helping our most vulnerable population. “I love coming to work every day for many reasons, I can truly provide holistic client centered care and help my clients achieve their health care goals” she says. “I am not only making a difference but I can see the difference” [in my clients’ health and well being].

Build meaningful relationships with clients

When asked about her clients in the downtown eastside, Lucy says it’s contrary to what people think. “They know I am here to help and that I don’t judge them – it amazes me how well they treat and respect me,” she says.  “For me, it’s not any scarier than the hospital, I build strong relationships with my clients and learn how to best communicate and care for them.” Lucy agrees it’s not for everyone but sometimes you just need “to give it a try and come down!” – which is why interested staff are encouraged to do a buddy shift to help them decide whether this is a career path they wish to pursue.

Interested in applying?

Home health nursing opportunities are currently posted as regular (#062749) and temporary (#064005) full time positions, which the successful applicants assume once they complete the comprehensive month-long orientation and training.  Click here to access the VCH e-postings site and search for the posting numbers above. Know someone that may be interested? Share this link with a friend by clicking the bright orange “Share” button on the top left corner of this article.

For more information on home health nursing opportunities, please contact Brigitte Relova, Recruitment Advisor at (604) 675 2500 local 21979 or email: Brigitte.Relova@vch.ca.