Nursing Spotlight
graduate Jaime Fortier
Driven by a thirst for knowledge
Olympians are often in the company of medical professionals and Jaime Fortier, BSN ’06, is no exception. By the time she became a member of the 1998 and 2002 Olympic Cross Country Ski Teams, Jaime had had her fair share of sitting with physicians, physiotherapists and other health care professionals. “The ones I remember distinctly and who comforted me the most were those who listened to me and met my needs,” says Jaime, who decided after much discussion with female physicians and nurses to choose nursing as her career.
One of Jaime’s clinical experiences while an undergraduate student was in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Based within Vancouver Native Health, she was able to participate in an after school education program for all children of addicts and sex trade workers. “I loved it,” she says. “I loved how much I connected with the community down there.” The experience ignited a desire in Jaime to work more with marginalized people. During her course work at the School, Jaime was struck by the level of psycho-social education she received. “The courses we took in communication and cultural sensitivity and ethics were important to build the base of nursing education,” Jaime says. “Nursing is more than medical, it’s holistic.”
Jaime was a grateful scholarship recipient while completing her undergraduate degree. “These helped us so much,” says Jaime. “My husband was the only one working and receiving the scholarships meant I didn’t have to work but could focus my attention on my studies.”
Scholarship support also afforded Jaime the opportunity to travel to Ghana as part of a final clinical learning experience within her nursing program. “I have done lots of international travel,” she says, “but never working while in another country. So, to see inside people’s homes, to see and hear the most intimate parts of their lives was an incredible opportunity. It’s one thing to see it on a television show, but to be immersed in populations that are struggling for survival really encouraged and motivated me to keep going in the direction of working with marginalized population groups.”
Not only did the experience allow Jaime to see first hand how other cultures struggle with basic health for themselves and their families, but it also allowed her to witness a different kind of health care system, from which she could cull processes that would work in her own practice, and from which she could appreciate some of the excellent strategies in place in the Canadian health care system. “I am always keen to keep learning and improving my practice,” Jaime says. “I love the opportunity nursing provides to interact with patients and colleagues to learn from them.”
Currently Jaime works full time in the Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Vancouver General Hospital, where she enjoys the collaborative team effort and the opportunities for communication with the patients. “My philosophy is to listen to the patient, to meet their needs and goals. I’m happy to put what I think is best aside and listen to the patients to discover what they think is best for them.” In the long term, Jaime’s desires lean toward becoming a nurse practitioner. “Maybe it’s my intrinsic drive to always go a bit further and reach higher,” says Jaime, “or it could be that I love challenges and learning.” Ideally, Jaime’s goal revolves around increasing her scope of practice, working directly with communities, and meeting the needs of those most at risk. “Treating the whole person doesn’t have to be curative. It’s more about maintaining optimal health for the individual.”
The School joins in Jaime’s excitement at bringing her passion for optimal health to medically compromised persons and to marginalized communities at home and abroad.
