Sarah Allen is an RPN that works on a very busy obstetrical/postpartum unit at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH).
Sarah graduated from her core nursing program at Georgian College in 2006. Upon graduating, Sarah worked at laser clinic, and then seized the opportunity to work on a dialysis unit at OSMH meanwhile she applied for another part-time position on obstetrics. This was the beginning to her full-time career dream of working in postpartum care. Sarah has never looked back on this decision; she patiently waited 2 ½ years to acquire that full-time position on her preferred unit.
Sarah has taken courses in breastfeeding support, newborn resuscitation, CPR, and has participated in training as an OR scrub nurse to attend Caesarean-sections at her facility. Sarah also shares that she was a Kaizen Champion for the “Purposeful Rounding” roll-out on her unit. Sarah recognizes that keeping up with best practices in obstetrical nursing is extremely important and is always engaged in life-long learning.
Sarah strives to meet each of her patients’ unique needs, wants, preferences, and wishes knowing that each patient and family dynamic is very different. This allows Sarah to be flexible and open in trying different techniques and approaches in order to work with each family as a whole. Sarah says she is quite adaptable because her unit also provides care for post-operative gynecological patients; she says she enjoys the diversity and variety in her practice and the care she provides. On any given shift, Sarah may be have a newborn and mom in one room, next door she is looking after an older adult woman who is a post-op Gynecology patient.
Sarah loves her RPN role as her unit is an extremely busy unit. This unit provides care for labour and delivery, postpartum, gynecology post-op, breastfeeding support. This makes for challenging and rewarding 12 hour shifts! Sarah told us that her unit runs smoothly and safely, because everyone works together as a team.
Since becoming a nurse, Sarah has taken part in mission trips to Nicaragua, where she helped the amazing people there learn daily health routines to assist in their family day to day living. This was a very rewarding experience for Sarah knowing she has made a difference in the families’ lives.
Sarah reflects on her early public school years when she wondered what she wanted to be when she grew up – it always pointed to being a “baby nurse” as obstetrical nurses are affectionately known. She knew that providing care for the babies and their parents would be a fulfilling career path.
Teaching parents about the care of their newborns in the few short days they are at OSMH before going home is exciting as Sarah gets to experience the joy on the families’ faces. Sarah expresses her passion for and satisfaction in her work through looking forward to each shift. Sarah has shared her enthusiasm with many students and taught them the importance of modelling the way and displaying a positive attitude because patients and families see this and benefit from it in your approach.