Nate Warden
RN, Father, Husband, Outdoor Enthusiast, Woodworker, Human
As a youth, I didn’t know anything about nursing. Then when I was 18, I was a part of a youth work exchange where I went to Tamil Nadu in southern India. I was just a kid, but I was travelling around these small villages working alongside nurses and doctors to assess and treat people with leprosy. When I returned to Canada, I ended up working with more nurses in a community health setting doing community outreach and school programs. Seeing nurses doing all these super cool and different things sparked my interest. It seemed versatile and very rewarding, so I applied to the University of Toronto nursing program, and the rest is history.
I’ve never been bored in nursing. If I’m ever seeking something more, or needing a new goal, it’s always been available to me. I worked for seven years in the Emergency Department at Victoria General Hospital, and more recently have been in the Surgical Recovery Unit and the Operating Room here at Royal Jubilee Hospital. In each role I’ve found there’s something new: a new challenge, a new learning to achieve, new room to grow.
I transitioned into the OR for more of a holistic approach to a surgical care. I’ve seen almost all of the types of surgeries in the operating room and how the surgeons do them. It was a very steep learning curve, but now when patients come into the recovery room, it’s not a mystery as to how their procedure happened. I know how the surgeons do it, and if problems arise, I feel like I’m better prepared to know exactly what could be going on.
“I’ve never been bored in nursing. If I’m ever seeking something more, or needing a new goal, it’s always been available to me.”
“[I] ended up buying a house here, getting married, having kids — the whole deal — so I feel like I’m an Islander.”
I actually ended up in Victoria because of a friend. After graduating from U of T, I worked at a hospital in Ontario for two years before a friend of mine who lives here in town sent me a text message being like, Vancouver Island is pretty beautiful…Why don’t you come and do some hiking and camping? I took him up on the offer and ended up buying a house here, getting married, having kids — the whole deal — so I feel like I’m an Islander.
I love it here. I remember early on, my wife Bex and I had one weekend where we went surfing in Tofino one day and then the next, drove up to Mount Washington to snowboard. I was like I can’t believe this. There’s a place on earth that I can do these two things in a single weekend.
Getting out into nature brings me joy. I’m going to try climbing Mount McBride in Strathcona park this summer. It’s just giant and beautiful and untouched. I find that spots like that are great for meditating; to sit and be at one with myself. One of the respiratory therapists that works in the OR, Aman, has got me on the path of meditation. We’re doing lots of good work, but it’s busy, so it’s good to just take moments to slow down and let the stresses of the day go. Sometimes when I get a break during my work day, I’ll come down to the church that is here on site and sit in the pews to just spend a few minutes meditating. It has been very helpful for my mental health and my wellbeing.
When I’m not at the hospital or out exploring the island, I really enjoy woodworking. My most recent project was a tree house for my two daughters, Rowan & Anwyn; they’re the lights of my life. I’ve built a woodworking shop beside my house, so I’ve always got one or three projects on the go in there, whether it’s a cutting board or a Mother’s Day present or the next neat thing. With both woodwork and nursing, I’ve always had a passion for using my hands and working hard.
One person who has been a mentor to me in my nursing career has been Marko Peljhan. He was previously a nurse, and now is the Vice President, Clinical Services Central/South Island and Provincial Programs with Island Health. He’s a really smart guy and always has a moment to talk, even within his super busy day. Periodically, I’ll go and chat with him about the challenges that come with this job, and he’s been tremendous. I think this sort of kindness is an important part of being human. Treating other people the way you’d like to be treated, the way you’d like your family to be treated. That’s one of my core principles that I try to bring to everything I do.
“Treating other people the way you’d like to be treated, the way you’d like your family to be treated. That’s one of my core principles.”
They are humans first, who put other humans first.
More than 8,900 caregivers and staff work around the clock in our Victoria Hospitals
#HumansFirst is dedicated to sharing the stories from behind our hospitals’ frontlines. These stories remind us that those who provide care and keep the lights on in our hospitals also have lives outside of them. They have family and friends, they enjoy hobbies and interests, and they have all lived through their own personal triumphs and heartbreaks. Like all of us, they are human, and they have a story to tell.
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