Glen Vienneau
Northern News Services

Tuktoyaktuk (Aug 28/00) - Nursing in the North sometimes means just doing the best you can under trying circumstances, says Debrah Comaniuk.

A term nurse who has worked at stations throughout the North, she recalled an experience in Taloyoak when the telephone was out of service.

"I couldn't summon the medevac and the patient was stuck there for several days," she said.

A nurse working at an isolated station can usually count on help from a clerk, house keeper or the first aid skills of the local RCMP officer.

But on days when the police are miles away and other station staff don't come to work, "you start to feel alone and abandoned," Comaniuk said.

"You can only do so much and you just do the best that you can. Experiences like that overwhelm some people. It takes someone extra special to be up here full-time. I really respect them."

Comaniuk's home is in Campbell River, on Vancouver Island. She works through the Nightingale Nursing Group of Saskatoon on six- to eight-week contracts with health boards in the Northwest Territories.

In the last three years she has served in Norman Wells, Pangnirtung, Iqaluit, Holman, Gjoa Haven, Kimmirut, Kugluktuk, Taloyoak and most recently at Tuktoyaktuk.

The remote posts offer rewards and challenges that are both personal and professional.

Nurses can extend their practise beyond the general duties, to administer antibiotics, immunization, check the progress of new born babies, stitch wounds and make casts for broken limbs and minor fractures.

They are also called on to handle lab duties, take blood and urine samples, perform haemoglobin tests, X-rays and interpret the results.

"There are many aspects to a nurse's job and in a Northern setting at a health centre, the duties are extended," said Comaniuk.

The extra demands, and the isolation of the Northern experience overwhelm some, especially when they are learning and attempting to cope in the absence of a mentor.

"The unfortunate part is that most health centres can't take the time to mentor because they're so short staffed," she said.

Participating in the community can also be a challenge, especially for a single nurse.

"There's little prospect for companionship, whether you're male or female it doesn't matter,"she said.

Couples find that one partner can't find work and will spend many winter days trying to keep busy. Nurses with children find the school system very different from what they knew in the south. High rent, travel expenses and the absence of small comforts such as a choice of TV channels raise the frustration level.

All these factors contribute to an acute shortage of nurses in the North.

Despite the hardships, Comaniuk finds part of her reward in the Northern experience.

"I find that in the Arctic people are very open and welcoming, they'll shake your hand and introduce themselves. When you're new in the community, particularly females, they'll ask you 'Are you a new nurse?'"

"Just seeing part of our great country that people rarely get an opportunity to visit is a thrill," she said.