Farinah has been working with VCH for 12 years. Her  current role is an Experienced Resource Nurse (ERN) at Vancouver General Hospital. The role of the ERN is to be a resource to their co-staff while maintaining their own patient load and providing mentorship to new nurses.

Farinah loves the nomadic nature of the job because there is constant movement: “Some people think that working on 11 units could feel uprooting, but for me it’s the opposite.  Most people only get the benefit of one work family, but I get 11. The staff is welcoming and always ready to help.”

Training other ERNs

Farinah was involved in the planning for a six week orientation program for ERNs. This process included determining what education was needed, organizing the orientation and being part of the ongoing support system.

The more Farinah was involved with the project, the more she knew it was for her.  She enjoyed being involved in training: “There’s always a lot of anxiety around change, so it’s nice to be able to help people through that.  Also, frontline staff are experts in their fields so if there are flaws in a new system or procedure, they’re the best at helping find the solution.”

Soon, Farinah and her team will be moving to the new Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre. The Segal Centre is a new, eight-storey mental health and addictions facility located on the Vancouver General Hospital site.

Highlights of her job

One of many inspiring moments during Farinah’s career while working in the area of mental health and substance abuse is seeing patients go through their recovery journey from the start to end.  “Psychiatry helps you understand that people are not different from each other.  At the end of the day, we want the same things: acceptance, understanding and a sense of belonging.”

Interested in learning more about ERNs?

Five years experience is required to become a ERN, and training is provided during orientation. To learn more about the role of ERNs, and to explore other nursing opportunities, visit careers.vch.ca.