Let's Go Rural! events come full circle for Innisfail-based nurse

Growing up in a small town, Amber Thibault always felt the unique charm of rural life. As a nursing student, she seized the opportunity to explore rural healthcare careers by participating in RhPAP’s Let’s Go Rural! Post-Secondary Event. 

Four years later, Thibault still fondly reminisces about the warm welcome she and other healthcare students received in the Drumheller, Alberta region during the 1-1/2-day event. Despite being a Red Deer nursing student at the University of Alberta, she had never visited Drumheller before, but the community’s approach left a lasting impression. 

Thibault expressed her love for the mix of community events and the focus on rural healthcare, including a tour of the local hospital. 

“You walked in and you were welcomed. The community was excited to share their knowledge, their resources,” recalls Thibault, now a registered nurse. She emphasizes the positive energy and the community’s collaborative effort to showcase their strengths.

As an Innisfail-based nurse, Thibault later had the chance to give back as a community volunteer during a similar event targeting grades 10 to 12 students. At the Let’s Go Rural! High School Event, she shared her journey, demonstrating intravenous starts and recounting her experiences as a doula and RN at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre. 

Thibault eventually opened her own business, Central Alberta Palliative Care, providing in-home palliative care services to rural patients. During the event, she highlighted the reasons rural nursing is a perfect fit for her and encouraged students to consider it as a viable career option. 

“I let the students know, I actually chose to practice in [rural Alberta]. This is a business I created and this is why I love it.” 

Her early exposure to community values, volunteering with her “baba” at a small-town community hall in Saskatchewan, instilled in Thibault a deep appreciation for investing in community. Now, she hopes to inspire others to promote their communities and shed light on the value of rural health careers for the younger generation. 

Thibault enthusiastically expresses her willingness to be involved in promoting rural health again, emphasizing that Let’s Go Rural! events are  an excellent opportunity for people to interact with health professionals in a non-stressful way, fostering curiosity rather than addressing emergencies. 

She sees the RhPAP Let’s Go Rural! events as a platform to showcase the quality of local health professionals and demonstrate how students can contribute to rural healthcare in their own communities. Thibault encourages communities to celebrate their greatness, pointing out health professionals and their skills while inviting others to join the team. 

“Let’s talk about how great our community is,” the RN emphasized.