Investing in Our Nurses Means Investing in Rural Emergency Care

When you live in a rural community, having skilled and confident healthcare professionals close to home matters.

The Vulcan County Health & Wellness Foundation is pleased to award education bursaries to Taylor Hartung and Sieglyn Parel, two Registered Nurses from the Vulcan Community Health Centre to attend the 43rd Annual Emergency Medicine for Rural Hospitals Conference, January 22–24, 2027.

Presented through the University of Calgary’s Continuing Medical Education and Professional Development program, this annual conference focuses on the realities of providing emergency care in rural communities. Through lectures, hands-on workshops and small-group learning, participants explore current practices, guidelines and techniques for assessing and managing urgent and emergency patients in a rural hospital setting.

This year’s learning includes topics such as pediatric trauma, toxicology, AI in urgent care, trauma skills, care of pregnant patients in distress, and acute stroke updates—practical knowledge they can bring directly back to our local hospital and share with colleagues. That sharing is an important part of the investment.

As Clinical Nurse Educator Brenda Ingraham noted in supporting the applications, the hope is that the two nurses will return and share what they have learned with their colleagues. Interest in the conference is already creating buzz among staff, and additional team members are being encouraged to pursue bursary opportunities.

For the Foundation, supporting continuing education is about much more than sending someone to a conference. It is about bringing new knowledge home.

Every new skill, updated practice and shared learning opportunity helps strengthen the healthcare team serving Vulcan County. In a rural hospital, where healthcare professionals must be prepared to respond to an incredibly broad range of situations, that investment directly affects the care available to all of us.

Congratulations to our two bursary recipients, and thank you for continuing to invest in your skills, your profession and the patients and families you serve. We look forward to hearing about what you learn—and seeing that knowledge shared right here at home.

Please accept my thanks to the donors for the bursary support for the ongoing continuing education toward my International Board Certified Lactation Consultant certification. As an IBCLC, I am required to complete 75 hours of coursework and over 250 hours of hands-on breastfeeding support to clients to maintain my certification and designation as an LC.

To my knowledge, I am the first LC there has ever been in Vulcan County, since taking a permanent position at the Vulcan Health Unit 2 years ago. In my role, my passion is to support our Postpartum Moms of our county, advocating for better accessibility to postpartum support and services.

Prior to my hire, most families needed to travel to Lethbridge, High River, Okotoks or Calgary for breastfeeding support. By helping me maintain my LC certification, this will continue to benefit the community, allowing them access in a timely manner to breastfeeding support, with minimal travel compared to travelling to larger urban areas with longer wait times.

With the foundation’s recent generous funding for our breastfeeding chair in our clinic room and 2 new breast pumps, I have already seen huge benefits for our local Moms/babies/families and have also heard so much appreciation from them for the foundation’s support of lactation services in our community.

Thank you for your approval of my application; it is greatly appreciated in furthering my education and skills to continue supporting the families of our county to the best of my abilities.

Sincerely,

Renae Penner

RN, BN, IBCLC

Vulcan is a small town, and for many people, reaching out for help can feel intimidating. Travel barriers and stigma can prevent individuals from getting the help they need. Through my practicum, I am able to offer support to community members through counselling and co-facilitating groups. These responsibilities will allow me to be present in the community and it means clients do not have to wait as long to get the support they need.

This practicum also allows me to build meaningful connections with people in the community and better understand the challenges faced in rural life. I am learning how to meet people where they are, and provide support that feels human and approachable. Even small moments of being heard and understood can have a powerful impact. 

The VCHWF was happy to provide a bursary towards a portion of training costs towards the education for FCSS Rhonda Longson to acquire certification as a facilitator for the Bridge out of Poverty program. 

Thanks to the support of our community, Rhonda will be able to complete her training and hold sessions in the Wellness Space for the entire community. She can also travel to the villages or surrounding communities to host these sessions and educate the public about poverty awareness and education. Rhonda’s extensive knowledge and qualifications and our community’s support make her a valuable asset as our Rural Reaching Home Coordinator and Client Services worker.

Bridges defines poverty as ” the extent to which an individual does without resources.”

Poverty is often seen as a lack of financial resources. Bridges considers eleven resources, of which financial resources are only one.  

In photo Dawn Wiseman, Executive Director Vulcan FCSS, and Gail Wark Executive Administrator VCHWF

I strongly believe that the Health and Wellness Foundation should consider approving this bursary, as Basic Life Support (BLS) education is essential to our community’s well-being. Healthcare providers at our hospital are required to recertify their BLS training annually, and unfortunately, we are losing the instructor who has been providing this valuable education in previous years. To address this gap, I, along with two other registered nurses from the hospital, have come together to offer BLS training locally to hospital staff, with the intention of extending this course to members of our community as well. BLS education is critical in saving lives and empowers individuals to respond with confidence during medical emergencies.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the many individuals whose generous donations to the Vulcan County Health and Wellness Foundation make opportunities like this possible within our community. 

Thanks again! 

Taylor 

Thank you to the donors who supported the bursary fund.

Taking the Trauma Nursing Core Course will help me become a better nurse and better serve my community.

As nurses at a rural hospital, we are often the crucial first responders in emergency situations, being the first people patients see.

Often, especially on nights, the doctor isn’t in the building. This course will help me feel more confident in my ability to assess and anticipate treatment when someone is experiencing an emergency.

This will ensure that the patient gets the appropriate treatment promptly.

Thank you

Izzy Posein

Taking the Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) will significantly benefit the residents of Vulcan County by enhancing the skills and readiness of our local healthcare providers. The training equips nurses, paramedics, and emergency responders with the knowledge to effectively assess and manage trauma patients, ensuring that life-saving interventions are delivered quickly and accurately. Given the rural nature of Vulcan County, where emergency response times can be longer, this course is especially crucial. It enables our healthcare team to stabilize patients efficiently and provide high-quality care, even before reaching more specialized medical facilities. Special thank you to all the donors of the Vulcan County Health and Wellness Foundation that help healthcare workers like me succeed at my job and provide better care for the community.

The VCHW Foundation’s bursary toward my Advanced Foot Care Certificate will assist me with providing specialized, essential services currently limited in our rural community. 

Through the course, I gained the knowledge and skills to address complex foot health issues, particularly those affecting older adults, diabetics, and those with mobility limitations. This bursary funding has not only supported my growth as a Registered Nurse but also significantly contributed to the long-term health benefits for our community members. 

I am deeply grateful for your support and the difference it will make in our community. 

Carolyne Cruickshank, RN

I am Jina Campbell, a care aide at Vulcan Extendicare. I have lived in Vulcan, Alberta, since 2018. I am dedicated to caring for my husband, who, as a senior citizen, can no longer engage in work activities. This responsibility is not just a duty but a labour of love that I undertake with utmost dedication.

This education will help me acquire a certification to strengthen my knowledge in healthcare. In addition to the opportunity to learn a new field, I can also commit to providing exceptional care to those in my work community. This opportunity will enable me to increase my earnings and support my family more effectively.

Thank you. I appreciate the chance to apply and am grateful to have been selected for this bursary.

Sincerely, Jina Campbell

My name is Nina Pauline Astorga, and I work at Vulcan Extendicare as a Care Aide. My journey to this point has been challenging. My husband and I are just starting our new journey in Canada, and with limited resources, access to education has been a constant struggle for both of us. My goal is to become a certified Healthcare Aide. Studying while working will be challenging, but I am unwavering in my determination and keep my eye on the prize.

This bursary is not just financial aid; it’s the missing piece of my puzzle, the fuel that will propel me toward my dream of building a brighter future for myself, my family, and the people I care for in Vulcan County.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to apply for this bursary. Being approved would greatly assist me in achieving my educational and career goals.

Sincerely,

Nina Pauline Astorga

My name is Rachelle Dietrich, and I have lived in Vulcan County for 18 years. 

After 10 very satisfying years as an educational assistant, I began looking for other humanitarian careers that offered more room for growth and potential for economic prosperity. 

My decision to transition into the healthcare field was driven by a desire to further contribute to the well-being of my community and to explore new opportunities for personal and professional development. 

I entered the healthcare field in August 2022 and began a casual position as a “Care Aid” at Extendicare in Vulcan. 

I enrolled in the Workplace HCA program with Norquest College and began my course in June 2024. 

I am excited about the prospect of continuing my role as a healthcare aide to the seniors of Vulcan County. I am committed to providing the best care possible and am eager to apply the knowledge and skills I will gain from the Workplace HCA program. 

I am deeply grateful for your support of the bursary program, which has made this training and career transition possible for me. 

Sincerely 

Rachelle Dietrich. 

I am so grateful that the Vulcan County Health and Wellness Foundation gave me a $500 bursary to help with the expenses of travelling to Vulcan to provide counselling services through FCSS. This money impacts the citizens of Vulcan and Vulcan County because it provides them with another mental health resource in the area that is so desperately needed. This money also helps alleviate some of the stress associated with being a practicum student and as a result, allows me to be mentally prepared to provide the care that my clients deserve through individual and group counselling.

 

Many thanks,

Talissa

Dear Vulcan County Health and Wellness Foundation,

We sincerely thank the Donors through the VCHW Foundation for your generous contribution to our Rural Leadership Retreat on October 6, 2023. We were excited and grateful to be a part of it.

We spent a lovely day at the zoo in Calgary, where we started the day by being separated into teams and proceeded to do a fun version of “Amazing Race.”  We were randomly placed in teams, allowing us to get to know some co-workers we may have met virtually in meetings but not necessarily in person.  It was very nice to spend some informal time together.

After the morning zoo tour, we enjoyed a presentation by Ryan Collyer from the Wayfound Mental Health Group. Ryan previously worked at AHS as a Paramedic. His presentation focused on the Operational Pressures involved with all healthcare positions, particularly leadership roles.   As we know, these jobs have been particularly challenging over the last few years and continue to be so.

He spoke about the value of self-care and wellness. Ryan shared a phased approach to wellness with us and suggested several resources and opportunities available for this aspect of our health.

 We both felt the day was valuable for networking and a chance to reflect on strategies to manage job stress.

Again, thanks to all of you for making this day possible.

With sincere thanks.