Mother knows best

Julie-Ann happily took her advice to embrace a career in nursing

Story by Ashley Graydon

MEDICINE HAT — Sometimes life takes you to places you hardly expected. “I never really pictured myself as a nurse,” says Julie-Ann Jans, who credits a loving nudge from mom for steering her onto her current career path as a Registered Nurse at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital (MHRH).

As a high school grad a few years back, Jans found herself wondering what to do for a living, but knew it would be in healthcare. She also wanted a profession that would be rich with opportunities and room to grow.

“At that time, my mom encouraged me to apply to the Bachelor of Nursing program at Medicine Hat College (in collaboration with the University of Calgary). I received early acceptance and decided to take the opportunity.” From her very first day in the program, she knew she’d made the right choice.

“Nursing quickly became more than just a career path for me — it became something I genuinely felt passionate about and could see myself doing for the rest of my career.”

She started her journey in healthcare on a medical-surgical unit at MHRH as a Health Care Aide (HCA) — and the rest is history.

“From my HCA role, I moved into an undergraduate nurse position, followed by a graduate nurse position, and ultimately became a registered nurse,” she adds. “Each position gave me the opportunity to build my skills, develop relationships, and demonstrate what I could bring to a team.”

As part of her undergraduate nurse experience, she gained valuable experience working in the intensive care unit at MHRH through AHS STEEP program.

This program is an internship-like model designed to provide stable and supported clinical transitions for nursing students who are interested in developing deeper nursing knowledge, skills, and expertise in high-intensity specialty areas. Students are paired with designated mentors who support them during their transition to clinical practice.

“The STEEP program and experience proved incredibly valuable and gave me the opportunity to challenge myself, develop my critical thinking skills, and gain exposure to a completely different area of nursing.”

Though this program is not currently offered, interested students can gain similar skills and experience through the Graduate Nurse Transition Pilot Program.

Now employed in the same hospital, she says she’s thankful for the STEEP program’s 12-week student placement experience.

“It’s been rewarding to go from being a student on these units to now returning as an RN, and being part of the team in a different capacity. When university graduate nursing positions became available, I approached the manager directly and expressed my interest in joining the team,” Jans says.

“This relationship and initial conversation opened the door for me to move from student, to a university graduate nurse, to a graduate nurse, and eventually to a registered nurse.”

Lisa Cerato, Jans’ manager in her unit, praises her strong communication skills and approachable manner.

“In the short time I’ve worked with Julie-Ann as an RN on our unit, I’ve appreciated her outgoing and personable nature and the positive connections she builds with patients, families, and colleagues.”

Cerato adds she’s become a valuable member of the team — and she looks forward to working with her more this fall.

Jans’ biggest piece of advice to other hopeful students is to create your own opportunities.

“Put yourself out there, make connections, and let people know where you see yourself going in your career. People want to help, so you just need to make the effort to connect with them.”

Resources:

Are you a recent graduate or in nursing school? Check out these AHS resources to get your career into high gear right here in Alberta.

• AHS Careers
• Contact Careers | Alberta Health Services
• Registered Nurse – Transitional Graduate Nurse - Alberta Health Services Careers
• Graduate Nurse Transition Pilot Program | Alberta Health Services
• Undergraduate Nursing Employee
• Students | Alberta Health Services