Northern Health has started a new volunteer program so nurses can more easily travel to Smithers for work.
The program was introduced so nurses could get transportation into town and be greeted at the Smithers airport.
Volunteer Mary Aldrich said, “I like meeting new people and seeing where they come from. I’m the first person they see getting off the plane and I ask a million questions!”
She used to work as a taxi driver and jumped on the idea of volunteering when it was suggested.
“It’s just an hour or two, and I’m doing my part to make it possible for these nurses to take care of our people.”
Thanks to a new volunteer program, when travelling nurses arrive in Smithers, they can now rely on the welcome of drivers like Mary, a Northern Health volunteer driver.
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Staff also appreciate Aldrich’s work.
“Agency nurses are filling critical gaps in our workforce, and this makes sure they’re well taken care of. It removes so much stress knowing that I don’t have to run out to the airport to pick someone up, especially on my days off,” said Bulkley Lodge Manager Shelley Stoddard.
More information on how to volunteer can be found on the Northern Health website.