Welcome to Kamsack, SK!

I started my assignment in full swing, and it already feels like it’s almost done especially when I look at my schedule.

Let me share with you some of this weeks highlights!

Sunday June 12th I left Kenora to head to my next contract here in Kamsack, Saskatchewan.

In my true fashion, I ended up leaving a half hour later than planned due to my favourite activity; procrastination. Luckily I had packed a lot ahead of time, I just tend to dilly-dally (bad habit). The weather was gloomy.

I had to stop off in Winnipeg for an impromptu oil change and to grab some groceries that I wasn’t confident I’d find in a small town grocery store (a downside of dietary restrictions means you have to plan ahead).

Getting my oil change. Also treated myself to a Starbucks!

Then I hit highway 1! Heading west past Portage La Prairie I ended up caught in massive downpour that made me stop on the side of the road as I couldn’t see anything at all. Thankfully it didn’t last long (maybe five minutes) and I was able to get going again. Shortly after I was blessed with sunshine for the remainder of my drive! That called for opening the sunroof. This summer has been really odd, so I figured I’d make the most of that Vitamin D while I had the chance.

Pee break in Russell, MB.

I made it to Saskatchewan shortly after, noting there was a time zone change! Which was great for me as I was arriving later than planned.

The highlights of my drive included seeing a striped gopher (a giant chipmunk essentially, that lives like a prairie dog) and the beautiful birds I had never seen before. Tons of magpies and scarlet headed black birds. I didn’t get any photos unfortunately, but these little things made my drive absolutely worth it. You see, I am easily entertained and find beauty in the little things, and this makes life so much enriching. Day made.

I arrived at my accommodations at 1400h SK time. It took about 7 hours of driving to get here. Not bad at all.

Fun fact: Saskatchewan doesn’t participate in daylight savings, and is always consistent throughout the year.

My accommodations were provided for me by the hospital, and I was placed in a seniors home that is about 400 metres away from the hospital. Super convenient, easy to walk to within two minutes!

Outdoor access to my personal suite.

It is a private suite with outdoor access, but I get free housekeeping whenever I want/need it! Score!

I checked into my place and unpacked the items I felt I would need. If you recall, my car was packed to the brim and since I’m only here for a month I didn’t think it was necessary to unpack absolutely everything only to have to pack it up again!

The accommodations are actually super nice. Free wifi, Keurig coffee maker and all of the required appliances. The bed is a comfortable queen sized bed with blackout curtains!

Bathroom located off the master bedroom.

Little workspace 🙂

Comfortable bed with blackout curtains. A necessity for those nightshifts.

There was also a TV provided with a roku!

Apartment sized fridge and stove.

Keurig, toaster and microwave.

Clean & cozy living room.

I didn’t take a picture, but there is also a table for two. A welcome basket was included that had packets of popcorn and K-cups. I was informed that if I needed more of either, all I had to do was ask. Score!

I also am not mad at the fact it’s on the ground floor. Makes it so much easier for me to store my bike.

My first day involved orientation to the unit and to ER. I was placed with one of their full time nurses, who knew the lay of the land.

The morning started off with head-to-toe assessments of the inpatients, then we jumped into ER to help the ER nurse (who was a traveller on his last day there), and we did so for the remainder of the shift.

I forgot how it felt to be a traveller on the first few days, where you don’t know where things are. However, it came so naturally to me and I was able to jump right in. I felt at home right away. The beauty of travel nursing is that nursing skills are the same anywhere you go.

I learned a lot of new things this day!

• The layout of the ER & the flow
• How to use a new pump system & tubing

• New IV start kits (I learned the best way for me- under pressure and in an emergency situation!)

• Their syringes come in plastic containers, and are in weird denominations like 3, 6 & 12 cc (no 5 or 10! So strange).

• No CTAS coding usage, only levels.
• Lab requisitions are scattered, you need about 6 different requisitions to do a proper draw for a chest pain protocol.
• They run certain labs here in-house that other facilities I’ve worked at didn’t- very interesting considering this is a small facility!

There were some challenges (they weren’t too bad though)

• Minimal staff & shortages (no X-ray coverage, which required us to send people requiring x-rays to the closest hospital, lab results took quite some time to come back due to only one person working lab for both inpatient and outpatient)
• Saw 34 patients and between 3 RNs we were kept quite busy!
• Staffing here gets a different break routine than I am used to and I did not eat enough breakfast to carry me through to lunch without a coffee/snack break. I had to sneak away to get some sustenance, but staff were totally understanding.
• The usual challenges of starting in a new foreign facility, but as we know this is part of the fun.

My second day I was on my own, ready to man the ER by myself.

I started out by ensuring things were stocked and completing the check-list at the beginning of my shift. Took some time to re-orient myself from what I had learn and saw the day before.

I didn’t get my first patient until around 0930h.

The day went by fairly well, with the two of us in ER we were able to manage the workload and got all our breaks in (signs it was a decent day!).

At 1630h though, the hospital closed the ER due to physician shortage and it was time to wind down. I took this opportunity to re-stock the ER and try to familiarize myself with where things are located on the inpatient unit for further reference.

Second day synopsis:

• Set up an utilized the new pump system for IV antibiotics
• Completed scheduled dressing changes (realizing it’s been a looong time since I have done a proper dressing change)
•  Figured out the computer logins required of me during my contract
• Used the glucometer for the first time (they use a different machine than I was used to)

Something cool: I learned how to run COVID PCR tests on an analyzer myself! Normally we would send them to lab to have them completed but here we have the luxury of doing them ourselves, and having the results ready within 15 minutes! Not just rapid testing, but full on PCR tests. I love seeing how things are done in different places and all around learning new things!

COVID Swab Analyzer

My third shift involved a 5 hour education session in the nearest hub of Yorkton, Saskatchewan. I had drove an hour from Kamsack to head to their hospital for this session.

I initially got lost in the hospital, but after searching every nook and cranny was able to find the classroom. The education day provided was a regional orientation that happens once a month for new staff. I was able to skip the morning because some of those topics didn’t pertain to me.

It turns out, most things didn’t. They took into consideration my skill and comfort level. I didn’t have to participate in anything I felt competent in. I sat through a lot of the sessions anyway, where they went over CVADs, the IV pumps, med reconciliations and the IV starts.

I was taken aside and shown how to access their IV drug monographs via my phone, how to use their glucometers (different than what I’m used to) and received certification in IO insertion. It was neat to learn that in SK, the nurses are usually the ones to insert them!

The IV pump was the most helpful, and I caught on quickly. Otherwise, most of it was all review.

Once it was done, I hung out and went for a walk and picked up some groceries as Yorkton is a bigger centre with more options available (a.k.a Real Canadian Superstore).

I ended up heading back to Kamsack earlier than planned because it was gloomy and overcast. Once I got back though, the sun was in full swing and I spent some time outdoors.

This week I had two full days off and a half day with my education day.

It ended up being nice and sunny out, and with the forecast the upcoming week being rain, thunderstorms and severely hot weather I felt it was necessary to really enjoy what little time I could outdoors.

My first day off was reserved for rest, where it rained and was overcast. I had driven to Kamsack from Kenora, unpacked and started work the next day. My previous rotation had been solely nights for the last 3-4 months, so I was still trying to turn around from that.

I did walk to the grocery store to kind of experience the scenery and grab a couple small items. It doesn’t hurt to move your body even when you’re tired and taking a rest day.

I won’t go into too much detail on this post, but I took a bike ride around the area twice, went for a few walks locally and checked out a really nice local provincial park!

Biking in Kamsack on a sunny day off.

Checked out a local walking trail.

I will be brutally honest here and admit that this change was necessary.

I overstayed my welcome at my last contract in the sense that I wasn’t being true to myself. My intentions with travel nursing are to allow for the feeling of freedom, the freedom of choice and variety. Keeping myself stimulated in different environments, continually encouraging growth, wonder and excitement.

I was feeling quite burned out, run down and overwhelmed. Caring for the same client population on repeat with little variety, the politics of the nursing unit and inner workings of the relationships/connections I had built on a more in-depth level than the superficial. A lot happened in those eight months of stay (I will likely never share this either), and it was time.

I was able to come to work and be very productive, motivated and hold a positive attitude. There was almost zero complaints or complaining on my end. I was able to withdraw and not be involved in unit political drama and issues (as with every hospital, the staffing challenges and rural considerations) and it was empowering. To step away. To know that I am here to do my job and help out, and be able to do it without any bitterness or resentment for myself or the surrounding situation.

It is clear to me that I will need to work harder to maintain this balance within the workplace with regards to travel.

It feels great knowing that I am only here for a month.

Would I come back? Maybe. It depends on whats in store in the next few months for this rural facility and its needs.

Thoughts on Kamsack so far? It’s a charming little town.

Kamsack, SK.

I love how sweet it smells when I am outdoors walking. Whether its lilacs, fresh cut grass or the sweet grass lining the ditch, there is always a lot of pleasant sensations to take in.

Everyone is so friendly and welcoming.

The colours are so vivid in this province. I know I always said I’d never come here, and had just judged it to be exactly like Manitoba… well I am not afraid to admit I was wrong. The colours in the sky, the colours of the grass are heavily pigmented. The rolling hills. The endless skies and white fluffy clouds.

Highway heading out of Kamsack.

Oh and those sunrises and sunset? Straight from movies.

Morning walk, 0500 sunrise.

The only downside? The sun comes up at 0330h.

0330h Sunrise.