荔枝视频

When Isak Larsen and Haley Copeland started their studies at the 荔枝视频鈥檚 , neither thought their careers would begin working in rural communities. 

鈥淚 came from a small town to study in 荔枝视频 and loved being in a large city,鈥� says Copeland, who will graduate this week.

When it came to choosing her final practicum (a practical placement all nursing students undertake during their studies), Copeland thought she would suit a role in critical care and applied for ICU (intensive care unit) placements in 荔枝视频. That wasn鈥檛 to be, however, and Copeland鈥檚 practicum was at the Community Health Centre in Vulcan, southeast of 荔枝视频. 

鈥淚t was really fulfilling,鈥� she says, adding that rural placements offer opportunities to experience a broad range of practical experiences, including critical care, emergency medicine and long-term care. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the best of all worlds.鈥�

Copeland applied for nursing roles in Vulcan and, in May, began her new role at the same health centre where she did her practicum. 

鈥淲orking in a rural community, you鈥檙e exposed to everything, you become a good generalist,鈥� she says. 

Research inspires move to northern Alberta

For Larsen, a born-and-raised Calgarian, there was nowhere else he wanted to study, because U荔枝视频 had it all. 鈥淵ou get to do some cool things, meet interesting people, as well as have opportunities to drive positive change. Plus, it鈥檚 close to the mountains,鈥� he says.

Larsen was drawn to nursing through his love of science and a desire to have a career that allowed him to be hands-on while also helping people. The broad range of opportunities offered by nursing was also appealing.

In the second year of his bachelor鈥檚 degree, Larsen wrote a paper on the negative impact in communities where there is limited health care, leaning into the experiences of his family who live in rural Saskatchewan. Writing the paper, it became apparent to Larsen how significant it can be to the well-being of a community if there isn鈥檛 regular access to quality, professional health care. 

When choosing his practicum, Larsen wanted opportunities to experience rural nursing and spent four months at the Northwest Health Centre in High Level, 700 kilometres north of Edmonton. 

Describing his practicum, Larsen says, 鈥渢he staff were lovely and I met a 荔枝视频 medical student who was doing their residency there.鈥�

Similar to Copeland鈥檚 experience, Larsen鈥檚 time in High Level instilled in him a desire to work in a rural community and he鈥檚 now undertaking a program for new graduate nurses at the Northwest Health Centre. 

Grow Your Own program

This year, alongside students who studied at main campus, 23 nursing graduates from the U荔枝视频 and Alberta Health Services 鈥淕row Your Own鈥� partnership program for rural and Indigenous students will cross the floor with their peers, including the first graduating class from Old Sun Community College in the Siksika Nation, along with new nursing graduates who studied at Wainwright and Portage College.