Sundre to celebrate local nurses, teach nursing skills to students, at May 8 event - The Alberta Rural Physician Action Plan

Organizers of an upcoming skills event for Sundre students hope to attract interest to the nursing profession, while celebrating and honouring the expertise of local nurses. Up to 50 Sundre and area students in grades 9-12 will participate in a May 8 nursing skills event, sponsored by the Alberta Rural Physician Action Plan (RPAP), Alberta Health Services, and the Sundre Healthcare Professionals Attraction and Retention Committee (SHPARC).

Health care professionals from the Sundre Hospital and Care Centre will introduce participants to the broad range of skills nurses in rural communities are expected to use every day, including suturing, starting an IV, and giving an injection.  Participants will be treated to an RPAP-sponsored lunch and speeches, and the SHPARC committee will host an afternoon “thank-you” barbeque for nursing staff in appreciation of their contributions to the community.  

According to SHPARC chairperson, Heidi Overguard, the RPAP-sponsored skills event is part of the Sundre’s National Nursing Week (May 8-14) celebrations, and is intended to showcase the skills of local nurses and health care professionals, while making a positive impression on prospective student nurses.

“Our nurses are an asset to Sundre and area, and this event provides an opportunity to showcase their skills, and to thank them for their outstanding service to the community. As Sundre wants to grow its own nursing staff in the future, we want these students to know that throughout their nurse training and after graduation, they will be welcomed back here for practicums, and to pursue a career,” Overguard added.

RPAP Skills events provide rural Alberta communities with a valuable opportunity to make a positive impression on future healthcare professionals through showcasing local amenities and attractions. Skills events, including Skills Days and Skills Weekends, are sponsored by the Alberta Rural Physician Action Plan, and are scheduled in rural Alberta communities throughout the year by the RPAP Health Professions Students’ Initiatives Coordinator.

Visit www.rpap.ab.ca/skillsweekends to learn more about RPAP Skills events.

Since 1992, the Alberta Rural Physician Action Plan (RPAP) has supported Alberta’s rural and remote communities, providing an evolving variety of strategies supporting the successful attraction and retention of physicians, within a constantly changing healthcare environment.  A recent review by the Ministry of Health will see RPAP’s mandate evolve once more, expanding beyond physicians to provide support services to other health professions, such as nurses and nurse practitioners, occupational and physical therapists, midwives, and paramedics. For more information, visit www.rpap.ab.ca.

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