"Working in the Emergency setting for most of my career, I have worked with many patients that were downright rude and abusive at times but I've always been able to work with a smile on my face to help provide them the care that they need. Last year, we had a gentleman come into our ED after being in a fight at a local establishment and he was escorted by police. The man had some very serious facial wounds that needed attention but he was obviously intoxicated and wanting revenge on the person that hurt him. As I first tried to clean his wounds, the man became verbally abusive by calling me names and trying to flail his arms at me, even under restraint by the officers. I didn't take this personally and maintained a calm and kind tone to reiterate that he needed care immediately for his wounds. As he calmed down due to my tone, he became very receptive to the cleaning and stitching on his wounds."

"A career as a Substance Abuse Counselor can often be stressful due to patient loads and extremely difficult patients. If I'm hired for this role with Eastern Health, you'll find very quickly that my ability to treat people suffering from addiction with kindness and compassion really helps them in their recovery process. Last year, we had a very full inpatient unit and I was working with a lady that was brought into our detox unit with sever alcoholism. In our first session together, she tried to become violent with me and the staff and I never let this waiver my approach with her. I have found that keeping a smile on my face while educating and treating patients has an infectious response and this was the case with her. By showing kindness and compassion, she knew that I was coming from a trustworthy perspective and became receptive to our sessions after that first outburst. After spending time on our inpatient unit and then coming back for further outpatient treatment, I am so happy that she continues to come back to speak to others on our unit about her road to recovery."