By Kirsten Millar
Jessica Gillis is a Registered Nurse working in Interventional Radiology and Endoscopy, including the Colorectal Cancer Care Screening program at the Valley Regional Hospital.
Jessica Gillis has been working as an RN for 15 years, first in the pediatric operating room (OR) at the IWK, and then at the Valley Regional Hospital’s OR before beginning her current role. “My grandmother was an OR nurse, and I thought it seemed like an interesting career,” says Gillis.
“I love what I do. I work with my interprofessional colleagues to keep my patients relaxed, comfortable, stable and safe during their procedures, and my perioperative background has served me well in these areas,” says Gillis. “My goal is always to educate, prepare and support a patient well enough through their procedure experience that when it is complete, they are able to say ‘wow, that wasn't nearly as bad as I expected.’”
“I have had many great nursing and physician mentors over the years, [to name a few], Sue Crawford, Geoff Bennett, Chris LeFort, Cathy Walls, Theresa Burton, Robbie Graham [and] Jana Wilson,” says Gillis.
Gillis is also passionate about making the transition into the workforce as smooth as possible for graduate nurses. She studied JB Duchscher's new graduate transition theory early on in her career. “I was part of a new grad Nursing the Future leadership team who went around the province talking about new grad transition to nursing leaders, educators, senior nurses and students,” she says.
“I still find teaching and precepting new nurses and staff very rewarding. Every day, working with newer nurses, I try to put myself in their shoes to remember what it feels like to be new and unsure. I remember the nurses who had faith in me as a new grad – who challenged me just enough and helped me gain confidence in myself,” says Gillis.
“Now, as a mentor myself, I always aim to explain the ‘why’ behind our practices and policies, because I believe your memory and desire to adhere to a policy will stick better if you understand the evidence behind it,” says Gillis. “I’m empathetic to the learning needs and stresses of new healthcare workers in transition to practice. We need to nurture our own.”
May 8-14 is National Nurses Week, and we are taking the opportunity to learn more about the many nurses who work for Nova Scotia Health and showcase the important roles that they play in a patient’s health-care journey. Thank you for all you do.
