In today’s trying times, it’s important to continue holding our spirits up and doing our best to be kind and help and support each other – which is exactly how Sprott Shaw Hero, Jenna Druet, lives her life. Jenna’s contagious passion for her life and work is a reminder of how we should be living our lives every day.
Since she was a young child and growing up, Jenna has always taken care of the people around her, so it was easy for her to decide her career path at a young age. She always knew she would be in healthcare, helping other people stay healthy and get better.
The Journey from Care Aide to Licensed Practical Nurse
Over a decade ago, Jenna graduated from our Abbotsford campus in 2005 after studying our then Residential Care Aide (RCA), now Health Care Assistant (HCA), and Community Support Worker (CSW) program. After 15 rewarding years as a Care Aide, she returned to the same campus in January of 2020 to advance her career and start her journey to becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) by taking our Practical Nursing program.
When she first started her career as a Care Aide in 2005, Jenna always knew that she would want to return to school to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. Since people are her passion, she takes great pride in giving everything she can to those she cares for – and becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse allows her to expand on the level of care she can offer to those she’s looking after.
Life as a Health Care Assistant
Three months ago, Jenna left her previous job of 15 years to work as a Health Care Assistant at Oxford Seniors Living in Abbotsford.
For Jenna, an average day at work includes helping her residents with a variety of activities of daily living (ADL) including bathing, feeding, and personal care. In addition to these responsibilities, Jenna’s roles also include helping the residents with their personal laundry, kitchen cleanup, and cleaning the dishes.
As a Health Care Assistant, Jenna’s favourite part of the job is the connections she makes with the residents and how much she can learn from them on a daily basis.
During these times, COVID-19 has minimally changed her work life, however, the same can’t be said for her residents. While preventative and safety measures like wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), social distancing, minimal physical contact, and daily screenings have kept the senior care home free of COVID, there have been some minor challenges along the way – especially for the residents. With the onset of the pandemic, the residents are no longer able to see their families, leave the building, or even see their friends from other floors. Adjusting to this new normal has understandably been very difficult for the residents.
The Next Chapter as a Licensed Practical Nurse
As Jenna continues her studies in our Practical Nursing program, she will continue to learn and develop the skills and competencies to become a safe and nurturing Licensed Practical Nurse for her patients.
As she says, “I love being a Health Care Aide. Being a Health Care Aide prior to becoming an LPN has given me so many great advantages to providing a high standard of patient care. I look forward to a new exciting career as an LPN and am so happy I chose Sprott Shaw again to lead me forward.”
We’re equally excited for Jenna and can’t wait to see what’s in store for her in the near future. Thank you, Jenna, for always putting in 100% into your work and for your contagious passion!
