Oh Baek
Eagle Ridge Hospital's Hiromi Okano (l) and Oh Baek
Celebrating Our Profession
What's your unit or specialty?
I work at Eagle Ridge Hospital on an acute medical unit that was turned into a COVID-19 unit.
How long have you been nursing?
Just a little shy of 10 years.
Why did you become a nurse and when did you know that nursing was for you?
I used to work as a chef, and one day I was cooling down after grilling endless steaks. I randomly asked a young co-worker who was prepping the salad bar, "What do you want to be later?" Her eyes sparkled instantly. She told me proudly about her plan to follow in her grandmother's path and become nurse. I was intrigued and later decided to explore her grandmother's path as well. (My co-worker did not become a nurse after all).
I knew that nursing was for me when, at one of the early BCNU meetings I attended, someone said out loud, "We need all kinds of nurses."
How would you describe the work you do in one word?
Kaleidoscopic. You witness birth and death, and ever changing human drama in between.
How does COVID-19 make you feel?
It made me somewhat uncomfortable at first. But soon, I tried to be positive and stay focused every day. COVID-19 made our lives difficult. However, it was a great opportunity to reflect on the many aspects of my work and life. I appreciate my co-workers wholeheartedly at this time and we've built strong bonds despite the challenges. Personally, I've become more conscious of my acts and thoughts towards others, realizing that, as human beings we are not separate. We're all living in a global village.
Name one thing on your nursing bucket list.
Doing one-night shift fully staffed and watching the northern lights along with some child patients who are sick – in the wide-open wilderness of Yellowknife.
What do you appreciate most about your fellow nurses?
My fellow nurses on the unit consistently assured me that "together, we can do this." Sometimes even a simple nod was assuring and comforting, as we understood what we needed to do before entering a positive COVID-19 patient's room.
Celebrating Each Other
Why do you want to acknowledge Hiromi Okano?
I would like to especially acknowledge the unsung hero Hiromi Okano, who is always friendly and caring. But this time she really surprised us. Early on in the pandemic she made handmade non-medical hair caps and gave them to her nurse colleagues for free.
On her days off, she would spend an hour to make each cap using a 30-year-old sewing machine. Each of her 60 caps was impeccably sewn, one stitch to another, as a symbol of our solidarity.
In these troubled times Hiromo's altruism means a lot and simply needs to be recognized.
I am truly blessed to work with her. Every time I see my team wearing the caps, I feel proud and resilient. She did not just make caps, she built grassroots comradery. The caps brought the nurses together and conveyed a silent message that we care for each other in these difficult times. This crisis presented us with a new challenge. However, it made us even stronger and reminded us of our noble duties as nurses.
Thank you, Hiromi, you are a true gem on our unit.