Meet May 9th ASF Panel Member Raymond Li
The Next All Staff Forum (ASF) is on May 9th from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. with the topic of: The Changing Face of Caregiving. You won’t want to miss this, as we will have panel members from across One Vancouver who will discuss how caregiving has changed over the course of their careers and what changes they see coming in the future.
Meet one of our panel members: Raymond Li
Raymond Li, a Mental Health Nurse in Vancouver Community, is one of our panel members. He was recently interviewed after receiving his long-service award for 45 years.
After 45 years as a nurse, we asked Raymond what motivated him to initially enter the field of nursing. He responded, “Frankly, in those pre-internet days, I had very little idea of what I was getting myself into. Like many young people in those days, nursing provided a chance to be independent. Since ‘psychiatric nursing’ starts with ‘PSY’, I thought it must have something to do with ‘psychology’, my favorite subject.” Raymond’s passion for psychology and helping others made psychiatric nursing a perfect fit.
He currently works as a Community Mental Health Nurse in Vancouver on the Northeast Mental Health Team, where he focuses on adult psychiatry and case management. He enjoys the diversity of the clientele, the opportunity to follow through on care and getting to know the clients. He says there are many opportunities for personal growth, making his work that much more enjoyable.
“I started working as a staff nurse at Riverview Hospital in 1973. Seconded to the Broadway South Mental Health Team of Greater Vancouver Mental Health Services in 1992 as a case manager and began my employment with the organization in 1993. After all these years, work is still enjoyable, and in spite of all the changes with VCH over these years, I can still find positivity and challenges every day.” He has seen many positive changes over his years at VCH, including the spearheading of family support, the expansion in the scope of services on mental health & addiction, innovational attempts to improve on the logistics of care delivery and continual support to improving the well-being of employees.
Since 1992, Raymond has been working at the Northeast Mental Health Team, previously known as the Broadway South Mental Health Team. Over these past 25 years, he has experienced a supportive and friendly environment, from team directors to fellow nurses. These positive aspects have fossilized the team’s culture into something remarkable. “I know my clients are always being well taken care of, even when I am not around, I know I can consult with my colleagues on professional and even personal matters. These are great feelings to wake up to and go to bed with, and they have not faded after all these years,” says Raymond.
Raymond recalls one of many memorable moments during his career. He used to co-facilitate a Cantonese Family Support Group with Case Manager Sophia Woo. The group was based on the “psy-ed” model, and they invited speakers on a monthly basis to educate family members on the various topics pertinent to mental health. One vividly memorable month was April 2002, when they invited Hon. Gulzar Cheema, Minister of State of Mental Health at the time to talk about Mental Health Updates, with Dr. Soma Ganesan as a moderator. “Our average attendance of 30 participants ballooned up to 73 on that night. The scintillation of enthusiasm was contagious,” says Raymond.
During his spare time, Raymond enjoys watching a variety of Broadway musicals and singing karaoke. As to the latter, his colleagues tell us, “He’s very talented!” After hearing this, VCH News promptly inquired if he’d be willing to give a demonstration, but he modestly declined. Another time, Raymond. A few of his favourite musicals include Les Miserable, Lion King, Next to Normal and Avenue Q.
After our meeting with Raymond, we’re confident that he’ll be providing exemplary “People First” care for many more years to come.
Register to come hear Raymond Li and other colleagues
Based at the VGH Paetzold Auditorium, several webcast and satellite site options are available. To pick your preferred location, register with LearningHub.