Kate has been a support worker in a community group home for 9 years where she cares for four residents in the comfort of their own home. She works 11 hour shifts, only four of those hours have another staff on hand, the other seven hours she spends working alone.
When asked what Kate does, the shortest answer is what doesn’t she do? Her role goes well beyond providing personal care, cooking, and cleaning to also providing record keeping, medication administering, nursing, reporting, chauffeuring, teaching, house maintenance and entertaining.
Jon has been a Biomedical Engineering Technician for seven years where he and his team take care of equipment at the hospital.
Jon was studying to be an MRT (Medical Radiology Technician) when he quickly realized his interest was in the equipment itself. He researched to find out that he could get a four year degree at a university to be qualified to make the devices or get a two year diploma at NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) to repair them. Jon chose to be a Biomedical Engineering Technician.
Brian has been a Biomedical Clinical Engineering Tech for 28 years, the last 4 have been in a supervisory capacity. Brian and his coworkers are a team of five in his Acute Care facility. Working together, they fix all sorts of machines when they break down.
Brian explained the dynamics of the team as an analogy to an escape room. His team works really well; each has different ideas and abilities to come up with a solution to get to their end goal – proper functioning equipment. The team spirit of cooperation and common need to meet a challenge makes this work enjoyable. Brian looks forward to going to work every day.
Connie was a Continuing Care Assistant (CCA) in the Philippines for three years before coming to Canada, where she has been a CCA for the past eight years.
For Connie, she ensures that she listens to the needs of the residents and does her best to put a smile on each of their faces. Care plans include Activities of Daily Living (ADL) where she encourages independence as residents are able and appreciates the uniqueness of each resident. For someone with dementia, they may be able to brush their teeth, for example, but they wouldn’t remember to do it by themselves. Others need total care. To be a CCA, Connie says it is crucial to have a compassionate heart. You must go to work with a positive attitude each day.
Melanie works in an urban long term care facility within both the Laundry and Housekeeping departments.
Sayful is a member of SEIU-West, and a founding member of the Multicultural Mentorship Committee (MMC) of the local. MMC works and advocates for all different ethnic backgrounds of members who work within Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and other employers affiliated with SEIU- West.
Nathan works at Canadian Linen in Regina where Nathan lifts over 10,000 pounds a day!
Mary has been a dedicated health care employee for the past 30 years. She works at three urban hospitals in Patient Registration. While it may seem like Mary has 18 arms, she assures me she only has two.
as a Combined Lab & X-Ray Tech (CLXT). She provides both x-rays and lab testing services.
Shannon worked in an Acute Care Lab Facility doing Microbiology Bacteria/Seriology until this week.