Staff Spotlight
Challenge, purpose and community building in rural social work
Meet Anish Deol, a Social Worker at Sechelt Hospital. Looking for a fulfilling job with purpose, Anish embarked on a rewarding career path that took her from big cities to a small coastal community. By working directly with people, it’s allowed her to gain valuable insights into human behaviour and dynamics.
“Social work also fuels my passion for humanitarian work, and the versatility of this work stretches my practice from micro to macro levels,” she says.
Pursuing a career in health care across Canada
Anish’s career with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) started years ago when she joined the team at the George Pearson Centre after completing her Bachelor of Social Work. Then pursuing her Master of Social Work at McGill University, specializing in International Social Work and Policy Analysis in 2022, she honed her skills during her clinical practicum at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, focusing on Complex Care and NICU/PACU. Upon her return to B.C., she rejoined VCH in the Child and Adolescent Response Team (CART).
After gaining extensive experience in primarily metropolitan settings, Anish decided to expand her portfolio and enhance her clinical practice in rural health care. So, she moved to Sechelt.
Working in rural health care
“Working on the Sunshine Coast has enhanced and broadened my scope of practice because of how inventive and innovative we must be within our scarce resources,” Anish reflects. “Everything I learned from the metropolitan practice of social work in Vancouver and Montréal has now shifted to work within a smaller pool of resources and teams in a rural community.”
Anish, as the only social worker attached to the emergency department, two acute care units, a critical care unit, and maternity unit at Sechelt Hospital, offers vital clinical assessments to craft personalized care plans for patients. Collaborating closely with physicians, nurses, and patient care supervisors, Anish emphasizes the importance of teamwork in her role. She highlights the dynamic nature of her work, where each day presents new challenges and opportunities for growth. “For example, cases in the ER tend to be short-term and goal-oriented which means that quick judgement and resource allocation is required to ensure that the patient is well-equipped and able to sustain their life in the community,” she explains. “In acute units that endorse long-length stays, I have an opportunity to follow cases extensively and conduct assessments or therapeutic interventions.”
With the daily challenges of working in health care, we asked Anish how she stays motivated. “The practice of social work is challenging yet rewarding in its own essence,” she affirms. “Being value and passion-driven makes it motivating. My personal values of helping others, gaining knowledge from my experiences has driven my professional values.”
While maintaining work-life balance can be difficult due to her demanding role, Anish shares that she has been fortunate that her team encourages taking time off. “In a similar aspect, working alongside a supportive care team and a healthy work environment that practices understanding, and flexibility makes an extensive difference. My collaboration with various disciplines has been positive and informative to my practice.”
She elaborates further that she values the work she does each day, not only as a health care professional, but as a community member.
Life-long learning and growth
“Clinician settings harbour a wealth of knowledge, and I am constantly learning from the interdisciplinary teams daily from their respective scope of practices. Whether clinical or social work related, there is never a day without learning!” As an advocate for life-long learning, Anish is also involved in various social work networks that promote ongoing theoretical workshops and webinars, as well as other professional development opportunities.
By keeping her practice people-centered and pursuing learning opportunities, Anish embodies VCH’s values and works to deliver better results every day.
Living in Sechelt
Equally important, Anish talks about the relaxed lifestyle and beautiful environment of Sechelt. “I know that when I am having a stressful day, I can simply walk three minutes to get to the ocean where I can unwind and reflect. It is a privilege to live and work in such a beautiful and peaceful community.”
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