National Nursing Week (hashtag: #NursesWeek) happens May 9-15, 2022. BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) and EngAge BC are profiling some of the people who bring their experience with nursing to the seniors’ care sector.
Erroll Hastings is Executive Director at Zion Park Manor, and a long-time member of BCCPA’s board of directors. His path into the continuing care sector includes having worked as a nurse.
“I wanted to be in a field where I could help people,” says Hastings. “I had an experience in hospital where a nurse made a difference in my life,” says Hastings, who graduated from nursing school in 1996.
“I entered the labour market in Alberta at a time where there were no permanent registered nurse positions due to mass layoffs. I worked as a care aide [in long-term care] for a year to pay the bills and when an RN position became available, they offered it to me.”
When asked what he appreciates most about working in the long-term care sector, Hastings spoke to the value of getting to know residents and their families in a way he wouldn’t be able to do in acute care.
“Come work with us if you love seeing the difference you can make in your job on a daily basis. The light you bring into our residents’ lives is appreciated and recognized. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the smile that is a result of your efforts,” says Hastings.
