Founded in 1985 as the first residential hospice in Western Canada, Jocelyn House offers high-quality, family-centered care in a home-like environment for people who are living out the end of their lives.  

Roxanne’s mother, a nurse of 35+ years, inspired her to pursue a career in health care. When Roxanne was in high school and thinking about her future, she asked her mom what kind of work she could picture her doing. The answer surprised her: palliative care.  

“As a teenager, I was a little concerned that my mom thought I should work with people who were dying, and I didn’t take her suggestion too seriously at the time.” 

Looking back, Roxanne remembers driving around St. Vital with her mom, trying to locate Jocelyn House out of curiosity and noticing the deer wandering nearby. Today, deer are a familiar sight outside her workplace. It turns out her mother was right with her career prediction. 

“I should have taken my mom’s suggestion more seriously that day,” Roxanne says. “I was meant to work in palliative or hospice. I just didn’t know it yet.” 

What does a ‘typical’ day look like for you? 

Although HSC ED’s Social Work service has expanded to be available 24/7, I currently work on weekdays. I start my day with a morning ‘rounds’ huddle with the interdisciplinary team. We discuss the patients in the ED, care trajectories, and ways in which we can best assist.  

The interesting part of working in the ED is that every day is unique. Today, I might be working with patients/families who have experienced a motor vehicle collision, a serious assault, the unexpected loss of a family member, or concerns of elder abuse. The next day I meet people who are dealing with addictions, mental health struggles, and not having anywhere warm or safe to sleep.  

It is a very dynamic work environment and one that requires comprehensive knowledge of the social determinants of health. 

What’s something people might not know about the work you do? 

The HSC Adult Emergency is truly a central hub that sees ‘a bit of everything.’ It is often one of the first places to meet individuals who are experiencing a new or worsening crisis that may be having an impact on the broader society. Whether it is a new harmful substance, pandemic or health outbreak, or a change in a major psychosocial system, the negative effects of emerging concerns often appear early on in the ED.  

As a result, the ED is uniquely positioned to identify and begin trying to address the issue; Social Workers play a vital role in this process. We work with the team here and applicable community resources to identify and help navigate the concern and initiate a wider response.  

For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, HSC ED Social Workers were heavily involved in isolation processes for folks living without a stable place to isolate or recover from the virus.  

Social Work specializes in a very holistic approach to caring for someone while advocating and connecting with available and appropriate community agencies. While someone might present to the ED for pneumonia, it may be the case that the medical illness is only worsening because an individual is living outside in the cold, unable to afford the prescribed treatment medications, and has no one available to help them.

What inspired you to pursue a career in health care?  

My career pathway was never straightforward. I initially had an interest in Criminal Psychology, and I took an online course through the Justice Institute of BC that led me down the road of Social Work.  

While in the Social Work faculty, I had to select a field placement. My dad was working at HSC at the time, and the environment he described always sounded quite dynamic, fast-paced, and interesting.  

After meeting some HSC Social Work representatives at a career fair, I decided to apply for my practicum here. I really enjoyed the work, the staff, and the patients I got to meet. I accepted a position working as a float coverage staff member and then spent a year in the Rehab Hospital. I never thought I would work in the Emergency Department as it seemed quite intimidating, but I decided to give it a try and have stayed ever since! 

What do you enjoy most about your job? What keeps you motivated? 

Every day, I meet people who have experienced and endured so much in their lives. I get to share a moment with them and hear a piece of their story. Even though time with someone is quite limited in this environment, it can be an amazing moment to walk a few steps with them in their journey and hopefully offer a much-needed bit of care and compassion while they are here.  

I also work with an incredibly strong team of other healthcare providers who are faced daily with seeing difficult situations, traumas, losses, and pressures, and this shared experience and support is so important. 

What are the most challenging aspects of your work, and how do you manage them? 

The most significant challenges of working in the Emergency Department are time and resource limitations. We jokingly say that we help navigate complex situations “in the span of a TV show.”  

Unfortunately, these constraints limit how much we may be able to assist someone in the moment, especially when you encounter system barriers, wait lists, and other challenges. It is important to be comfortable in this work knowing you can’t fix everything, so we learn to focus on the most pressing concerns someone is experiencing in that moment. We also want to support patients in recognizing their own strengths and resource knowledge. 

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Manitoba’s healthcare system today?  

Health care is complicated because so many factors have an effect. Wait times and retention of healthcare staff are always hot topics. From a more Social Work-focused perspective, socioeconomic status is a significant issue.  

A prescription for antibiotics is only helpful if someone can afford it or has coverage.  

A recommendation to keep your feet up, rest, keep wounds clean, and eat healthily might work well if you have a home and enough money to purchase healthy food, but it is extremely difficult if you are living outside, possibly without a stable income source.  

Attending follow-up appointments might be especially challenging if you live alone, have mobility issues, or do not have reliable transportation.  

Although the healthcare system may be able to diagnose and offer treatment for an ailment, these plans of care often come with the assumption that the individual has the means, ability, and resources to realistically and effectively carry them out. 

“Being in the ED has the added pressure of time constraints, so the work is quite fast-paced. The reality is that we may only have a short window of time to work with someone.”

If you could change one thing about the healthcare system, what would it be and why? 

Speaking purely through a Social Work lens and from my own perspective, one thing I have always felt would be helpful is a dedicated outreach team that works from the hospital. This would be an interdisciplinary team that works with folks who are being discharged from hospital but who would benefit from a direct hand-off of care for short-term follow-up.  

For example, hospital Social Work may be able to secure financial assistance and a housing spot for someone, but does this person have the means and resources to furnish their new place? Do they know where to buy groceries or how to use the appliances in their new suite? If they don’t have a calendar and a way to keep time, reliable transportation, or an understanding of bus routes, will they make it to their follow-up medical appointment?  

Discharges from hospital can be quite complex, especially for someone who does not have a family member or friend able to assist, or the resources, skills, and ability to navigate the next steps. 

What would you say to someone considering a career in your field? 

I think the most significant thing I learned early on is that it is helpful to think about your strengths and areas of interest or knowledge. It’s also beneficial to know what topics, environments, or demographics might be more challenging for you. For some, this may mean being open to additional learning, including from colleagues and especially from clients. For others, this can help guide career paths if there are specific areas of interest or ones that you feel might not be for you.  

Self-reflection should be an ongoing process and the results of that process can change, sometimes multiple times. I recall thinking during my practicum, “I could never work in the Emergency!”. As I spent time in different areas of the hospital, my view on this gradually changed. Now, almost 14 years later, I am still here. 

---

Shaw has an Honours Degree with a focus in Psychology and completed his thesis in the Neuropsychology field followed by a Bachelor of Social Work. He says he tends to be more of an indoors person and enjoys relaxing with family and pets (rabbits and a very demanding parrot!). He enjoys learning about science and fun trivia facts that he will never need to use and always has some kind of project on the go keeping him busy. 

---

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic 

Caitlin says she truly recognized the full impact of her work during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

When families were unable to visit their loved ones, the recreation department became a critical lifeline – facilitating phone calls, Zooms, FaceTimes, window visits, and eventually outdoor visits. The team had to reimagine programming under strict restrictions and limited resources, which demanded creativity, flexibility, and emotional resilience. 

“That was the ‘aha’ moment,” Caitlin says. “Everyone in health care realized how valuable Therapeutic Recreation was… not only for entertainment, but also for connection and emotional support for residents and their families.” 

Building relationships is at the heart of Caitlin’s therapeutic recreation program,  whether she’s learning about residents’ life stories or creating moments of joy in everyday routines. 

“I love being able to connect with residents and hear about their lives. It gives families peace of mind knowing their loved one is happy, safe, and being taken care of. It’s an honour to spend time with someone in their final years of life, and we should try to make every day as enjoyable as possible.” 

Caitlin says one of her favourite moments at Middlechurch was when she helped a resident learn how to use the internet. 

“Eventually, he became fully independent on his computer, and I loved that for him!”

---

Ongoing challenges in long-term care 

Despite the rewards, Caitlin is candid about the challenges facing therapeutic recreation and long-term care more broadly. On a personal level, balancing the diverse needs of residents can feel overwhelming. She emphasizes the importance of wellness days, noting that the emotional demands of the job make self-care essential. 

“Sometimes you feel spread thin,” she says. “This job can be mentally draining, so it is very important to take care of yourself first.”  

Systemically, staffing remains the biggest concern. 

“Care needs have drastically changed in the past 10 years, but staffing numbers haven’t kept up,” Caitlin explains. “Low staff-to-resident ratios make it difficult to meet the growing complexity of needs.” 

She believes that more permanent full-time therapeutic recreation positions and increased pay would help strengthen the profession while stabilizing the healthcare system as a whole. 

“If we want more people to pursue careers in health care, we need to make sure those people feel valued,” she says. “When we invest in people, more residents can be treated, supported, and truly seen.”   

How long have you worked in your current role, and in health care overall? 

I’ve been a Recreation Coordinator at Concordia Hospital for just over a year. Before that, I worked as a non-clinical support worker for 15 years at the Manitoba Developmental Centre in Portage la Prairie. 

Can you describe your role and the impact it has on patients or the healthcare system? 

I provide meaningful and purposeful activities that help patients maintain and improve their quality of life during recovery. Therapeutic recreation focuses on all aspects of a person’s wellbeing: physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and spiritual. 

Often, people don’t choose to be in a hospital or require medical care. Therapeutic recreation helps give them autonomy over how they spend their time while they’re there, which can be incredibly empowering. 

What does a “typical” workday look like for you? 

A typical day doesn’t exist for me! Every patient and every situation is truly one of a kind.  

What’s something people might not know about the work you do? 

People often don’t recognize the value of recreation and leisure during times when patients may need it most. 

What inspired you to pursue a career in health care? 

My mom was a psychiatric nurse and hearing how she impacted others really inspired me. In my own life, if I sit around too long, I get restless. I want to help people who struggle with the same thing. 

What is your educational background? 

I have a Bachelor of Recreation and Community Development. My fieldwork placement was at Misericordia Health Centre, where I learned so much about therapeutic recreation. The positive experience I had there made me want to continue in therapeutic recreation after graduating. 

Can you share a moment that confirmed you made the right career choice? 

Healing in the hospital can be a lot of work. Seeing people relax when they see me – because they know we’re going to talk about or do something they enjoy – really confirms I’m where I’m meant to be. 

What do you enjoy most about your job? What keeps you motivated? 

Seeing the joy on people’s faces when they’re doing things they want to do. That’s what keeps me motivated. 

What are the most challenging aspects of your work, and how do you manage them?

Recreation is often undervalued in hospital settings. Sometimes people think therapeutic recreation staff are just there to ‘distract’ patients. Awareness initiatives, like Therapeutic Recreation Month, help dispel those myths and highlight the real impact of our work. 

What do you do for fun outside of work? 

I love spending time outdoors running, camping, and hiking. I also enjoy cozy time at home with my partner, LP, and our two animals, Banjo and Edward Scissorpaws. I like going to movies and concerts, and I play Stardew Valley. 

If you could change one thing about the healthcare system, what would it be and why? 

Universal electronic charting. It would reduce siloing between disciplines and hospitals and help improve patient flow across the system. 

Tasha was encouraged to pursue a career in healthcare by her mother, completing the Medical Laboratory Assistant course when she was pregnant with her first child. With an interest in human anatomy and physiology, she was drawn to a role combining science with direct patient care.

It wasn’t long before she knew she had made the right choice. After tragically losing her partner before the birth of their daughter, Tasha returned from maternity leave to find that the distraction of work helped her cope with the immense grief.

“My patients provided purpose during an incredibly difficult time and reminded me how important my work truly is.”

Like many healthcare workers, Tasha faces the challenges of high workloads and staffing shortages. She believes meaningful change begins with simplifying systems, improving efficiency, and hiring enough staff so workers aren’t pushed beyond their limits.

Despite these challenges, she remains motivated by her patients and values the connections she builds with them.

“Sometimes a patient will recognize me from a previous lab and request me when they come in. That’s what stands out to me as a success story.”

Tasha is also a strong advocate for medical laboratory sciences. She regularly encourages interested patients to consider careers in the field and shares advice on training and phlebotomy. She says these conversations have helped inspire new hires at Dynacare.

Outside of work, Tasha enjoys spending time with her family: hiking, watching the northern lights and star-filled skies, exploring lakes, trying new restaurants, and discovering new trails around the city.

“In addition to counselling, our team can help with issues around housing, work, financial benefit programs, transportation, health inequities, and, of course, navigating our very complex healthcare system. We are the hub for all types of issues within CancerCare. We have a wide array of abilities and resources, so we pull out different strategies and approaches based on what’s presented to us.”

The team delivers support in many forms, from education events to support groups. There are groups for expressive arts, cognitive behaviour therapy and mindfulness, coping with cancer, fear of cancer recurrence, bereavement, caregiver support, as well as several support groups for those living with specific types of cancer, such as breast or lung cancer. Ian runs a group for young adults living with cancer.

Ian says it’s important for those working in any helping profession to acknowledge the potential impact their role can have on their own mental health.

“There can be a knee-jerk reaction to downplay the mental toll of this work, to say something to the effect of: ‘It’s an honour to do this work and I got into this profession because I like to work with people.’ And of course, all of that is true. It is an honour to walk with people through this difficult stage of their life. It’s incredibly humbling to be in a counselling session and have someone who you’ve just met open up more broadly and more deeply than they might with their closest loved ones. But at the same time, I think there is an often unseen cumulative effect of hearing so many challenging stories.”

Ian says the team’s clinical service lead, Cheryl Dizon-Reynante (M.Ed, CCC), also a MAHCP member, is excellent at leading their team, and ensures there are plenty of opportunities for discussion in rounds, both small group and large group, and debriefing sessions.

“It’s very common for our team members to seek each other out, knock on each other’s doors, and ask for quick consults. Some of that is for practical care planning purposes, but sometimes it’s to discuss a difficult conversation that we might have just finished with a patient. Self-care strategies are so important with this work, and it’s essential to leave work at work. It can certainly burn you out quickly if you’re thinking or ruminating on issues all night long. Thankfully, we don’t have to do this work in a silo.”

When it comes to oncology-specific knowledge, Ian says that a lot of that learning happens at work.

“We learn a lot from each other and from being part of the wider multidisciplinary teams at CancerCare Manitoba. There may be some oncology electives in different counselling programs out there, but to be honest, learning about the ins and outs of cancer happens mostly on the job.”

Ian says that one of the most significant things Manitobans should know about living with cancer is that challenges often increase after treatment ends, particularly from a psychological and social perspective.

“People have to face and figure out all the changes that cancer forced upon their life, and where to go from there. Post-treatment challenges often catch people off guard. Treatment ends, and patients may feel relief that it’s over, then two to three months go by, and they’re saying: ‘wow, this is way harder than I thought. I’m really scared of cancer coming back. I have to deal with the anxiety of regular scans. I’m still dealing with side effects, like brain fog and fatigue. I’m struggling with my mental wellness.’ Plus, of course, sometimes people return for more counselling from psychosocial oncology because they have had a recurrence.

PSOs are flexible and provide person-centred care, which is a central value to the work they do.

“We know from feedback from the public and through surveys that people living with cancer and their loved ones want even more emotional and counselling support. Even though the PSO department exists, there is a demand and a need for more of us. We have heavy caseloads, and we only see a fraction of the people who get cancer in this province. The need for the type of support we can provide is only on the rise.”

Alongside the challenge of 365/24/7 work, which Tanis says, “you get used to over time”, the profession is facing a desperately low level of staffing in Manitoba’s healthcare system. 

“Some days at the Grace, I am the only RT covering wards AND emergency. Short staffing causes backlogs for testing. It delays care. It’s causing burnout. And it’s tough because we can’t truly expand roles – there is no one to fill positions – we really need more new graduates.”  

Tanis loves travel, photography, and reading, and she graduated from the UM School of Medical Rehabilitation with a Bachelor’s degree in Respiratory Therapy.  

“The care RTs provide can help a patient manage a chronic condition, learn how to manage a sleep disorder like obstructive sleep apnea with BIPAP or CPAP, or offer an early diagnosis before something gets worse. It can be the difference between life and death.”