Humanity in Nursing

My Strong Interest in Mental Health and Addiction

I can still remember that morning in August 2014. For several weeks, I had been looking for a job that would fit my interest in mental health and substance abuse. I had been getting refusal letters every day, competition among nurses being so fierce. But that day, out of nowhere, as I had lost almost all hope to find a job in that field, I saw a job offer for Portage’s Mother & Child program. I felt it in my guts: I would be the next licensed nurse at the Mother& Child centre.

I had the feeling that I would work in a therapy focused environment, where words such as rehabilitation, future, new beginnings, self-esteem and projects take on another meaning. Portage was a perfect fit with my personal and professional endeavours: it offered a job where my work would not be reduced to repetitive and quick medical techniques and where a humane approach to the clientele is encouraged.

Being a nurse in a drug rehabilitation centre is much more than just distributing meds, answering health questions and making sure the inventory is done properly. Nurses have to listen and hear the residents’ suffering as well as their personal victories; they must dig into their expertise to teach and they must look after the residents’ well-being by suggesting options that fit their physical and psychological condition. It’s also about using the right resources and establishing trust with them during their stay at Portage.

My Adventure at Portage Began on September 2, 2014...

Nearly four years later, I find that working at Portage is still a daily challenge. There isn’t any routine. Each resident brings their own questions, worries, knowledge, strengths and weaknesses. Being a nurse in a drug rehabilitation centre is much more than just distributing meds, answering health questions and making sure the inventory is done properly. Nurses have to listen and hear the residents’ suffering as well as their personal victories; they must dig into their expertise to teach and they must look after the residents’ well-being by suggesting options that fit their physical and psychological condition. It’s also about using the right resources and establishing trust with them during their stay at Portage.

We nurses must help set up the treatment plan so that it suits the individual needs of the residents, to better help them recover. Since I’ve been at Portage, I’ve greatly developed my ability to work with a vulnerable and marginalized clientele.

Humanity in Nursing

Here, at the Mother & Child program, I’m not just a nurse. I take on the role of counsellor, educator, teacher, and sometimes confidante.

I feel the most fundamental aspect of my job is working with professionals from other fields in my interdisciplinary team (counsellors, doctor, educators, social worker, etc.). We nurses must help set up the treatment plan so that it suits the individual needs of the residents, to better help them recover. Since I’ve been at Portage, I’ve greatly developed my ability to work with a vulnerable and marginalized clientele. I’ve become much more open-minded and worked on my interpersonal skills. Every day, I feel that my work is valued and I feel motivated.

You often hear that there are no coincidences in life. For many years, I had downplayed the importance of drugs in general. Portage taught me otherwise; its mission and values raised my awareness on different aspects of drug addiction. This might sound like a cliché, but I would say that Portage led me to redefine my understanding of nursing, but also of life in general. At the Mother & Child centre, I learn something new every day, and I’ve learned to know myself better.

Elise Coderre, Registered Nurse at Portage's Mother & Child Program

From Pot Smoker to Lamplighter

The Second Chance of a Drug-Addicted Mother

Counsellor at Portage: Belonging to a Therapeutic Community