March 2023

International Women’s Day 2023 – Embracing Equity with Electrical Apprentice Alex Tungate

Role: Apprentice

Department: Electrical Contractor working on the future NRGH ICU.

Who do you primarily work with day to day?  Usually, a Foreman or another Apprentice. It changes all the time.

How long have you been in this field?  6 months

What is one (or some) of the most challenging, yet rewarding parts of being a woman in your career?
I feel more reward everyday than challenges. I love the company I work for and feel I have a lot of support from my team and from other people at the jobsite. Being the minority is something I am, and others are aware of, but as time goes on it is something I think about less often. With my specific team currently, it is comprised of mostly younger men and as 30 year old women it can sometimes be challenging to always feel connected to the team.

How do you support other women in your field?
I’ve been lucky enough to know and work with a couple female electricians and it feels great to chat about our experiences and create a positive environment!

Tell us a bit about what life looks like outside of work?
I live with my partner and our dog Sierra. We love spending time outdoors, hiking, camping, lake days, snowboarding. I also love to paint and read, socialize, and cook good food!

International Women’s Day 2023 – Embracing Equity with Safety Coordinator Lisa Corbett

Role: Safety Coordinator – Contractor working on future NRGH ICU

Department: Construction Field

Who do you primarily work with day to day?
Ensure compliance being met in all aspects of our job sites. Train and educate workers in safety practices and procedures as per Worksafe regulations while building a great culture within the safety world.

How long have you been in this field?
16 years.

What is one (or some) of the most challenging, yet rewarding parts of being a woman in your career?
Challenges were always taken seriously when I first started. As a woman in this industry, you must prove that you are just as skilled as your counterparts in the construction industry. The rewards are that I get to build very strong positive relationships with teams. I get to make sure that all parties that come onto our sites are feeling comfort in knowing that we really do care about their safety and they get to go home to their families safely at the end of the day.

How do you support other women in your field?
I ensure that they feel very welcomed on our site. I continually conduct a professional attitude but also make sure that they understand my door is always open for them if things get tough. I love to mentor the women who come to our sites so they feel confident in what they are doing and where they are working.

International Women’s Day 2023 – Embracing Equity with Project Manager Jean Phan

Role: Project Manager, Strategic Initiative

Department: NRGH ICU and HAU

Who do you primarily work with day to day?
Adults in need of Critical Care support

How long have you been in the health care field?
I have been in Nursing for almost 13 years, with the past 10 years working in ICU. Since last year, I took the opportunity and became the Clinical Project Manager.

What is one of the most challenging yet rewarding parts of being a woman in your career?
As a bedside nurse, I find the most challenging thing is to balance a full-time job with two little ones at home. On top of that my husband works full time as a Respiratory Therapist, so we have two hospital shift workers in this household! In my profession, it is predominantly women with a lot of them being mothers. I receive a lot of empathy and support from them. Oh, the stories that us mothers would share!

Since I become the Clinical Project Manager, it has been a great learning curve. I must learn new terminologies and jargons (specifically construction related), to understand the process of construction, and to learn how procurement works in Island Health. Everyone has been so supportive and patient with me since I joined the team.

How do you support other women in your department/ward/field?
Our society still holds a lot of the old perceptions of women are more emotion focus and men are more technical minded. As such, women sometimes feel the need to go above and beyond just to be recognized as equal when the discussions become highly technical. I often encourage fellow women in the field to speak up when needed and provide anyone interested in the opportunity.

Tell us a bit about what you like to do on days off/spare time?
I was born and raised on Vancouver Island. My parents were one of the original refugees during the infamous Vietnam war. They immigrated to Victoria over 40 years ago. I am now married with two young boys (5 and 3). Cooking traditional Vietnamese and Cantonese cuisine are one of my favourite pastimes. It is also a great way for me to cope with stress. My boys say I make the best Chicken Pho, even better than Ong’s (grandpa).

International Women’s Day 2023 – Embracing Equity with Tia Anderson 

Role: Owner & Installer

Department: Tia is a Commercial Floorer by trade, and is one of the hardworking contractors working on the future NRGH Intensive Care Unit.

Who do you primarily work with day to day?
My business partner and Husband primarily, helpers if we need extra hands on a job, contractors, and other trades.  Every day is different.

How long have you been in this field?
It will be 11 years as of April 1st 2023.

What is one (or some) of the most challenging, yet rewarding parts of being a woman in your career?
Respect. It can be a challenge not always but sometimes you have to earn it. (Doesn’t help that I look younger than I am and am only 5’3). I work hard, I stand up for what I know is right and I’m darn good at my job. I take pride in what I leave behind at the end of the day.

I recommend showing off in a safe manner – ‘She-Hulking’ as I like to call it. When it comes to doing my job, I’m very particular, and demand a high level of performance. I need other trades to finish their jobs before I can start mine sometimes, but I also need them out of my way once I start. Earning a mutual working respect with your colleagues, regardless of gender is incredibly rewarding.

How do you support other women in your field?
You don’t see a lot of women in flooring. We are out there, but it is not for everybody. It is a very physically challenging job. Most of the crews I have worked with I’ve been the sole female, but the people you work with know what you’re capable of and can help when you need it. You have to be willing to work hard but also admit when you need help – whether that is a man or a woman asking for a helping hand.

This year’s theme is Embracing Equality, how does this resonate with you in your workplace?
I don’t really see gender I just see people. But I know over the years woman have started to be far more welcomed on construction and trade sites. I wish I could say we are at a fully equitable level in this industry, but that isn’t true just yet, but it has gotten better and I am confident will continue to.

What you like to do in your spare time?
My hubbie and I have been together for 8 years. We have had our own company for 5 years.
We have our cat fur baby and hoping to start a human family in the next couple years.
On days off I love to bake! I like going rock hunting, build lego, and just relaxing!

 International Women’s Day 2023 – Embracing Equity with Social Worker Vanessa Portlock

Role: Social Worker

Department: Child Youth and Family

Who do you primarily work with day to day
As a social worker on the Perinatal, Neonatal and Pediatric unit my day to day work varies. I support women and their families throughout her pregnancy to the birth of her baby, and can include high risk pregnancies, prenatal substance use, mental health concerns, domestic violence issues, socioeconomic concerns, poverty, homelessness, pregnancy loss.  My work on the Pediatric unit includes working with families of children who present with health, and or mental health concerns.

How long have you been in the health care field?
I have been in the health care field for a number of years starting in Community Health services with Island health, then finding my way to a hospital setting where I gained experience as a social worker in Acute care and the Renal department before working in the Child Youth and Family Unit of the hospital.

What is one of the most Challenging yet rewarding parts of being a women in your career?
One of the most Challenging parts of my work is the gaps in much needed services and supports that can have negative impacts on health outcomes for women and children. Tasks needed to make changes can feel overwhelming when considering the resources that have to be mobilized to address the gaps.

Most rewarding is the recognition of the value of advocacy to bring attention to what needs to change. In my working career I have seen individuals coming together to speak about solutions, create opportunities with community partners to address the gaps in services and resources to come up with concrete solutions.

Most rewarding is the ability to access funding support for families when they are facing a crisis. The ability to access funding for accommodation if a family is facing a medical emergency and not in their home community has played a key role in alleviating stress, helping the family to focus on being present for their sick family member.

How do you support other women in your department/ward/field
I work as part of a team. With team members I engage in ongoing conversations, encourage self-reflection to examine our biases, beliefs and prejudices and how this may impact interactions. Education is used to provide knowledge and understanding for example of the impact of colonization, trauma, addressing unjust and unfair practices, fostering compassion.

When considering the theme “embracing equality”
I believe change starts with you and me, a change in behavior, attitude, questioning unfair and unjust practices, drawing attention to the beliefs and attitudes, ideas that are harmful, envisioning a world where diversity is celebrated, and the value of each individual is seen and acknowledged regardless of orientation, race, background and different abilities. Like a pebble that is thrown into a lake as we collectively stand together to embrace equity the ripples become waves of change.

My personal side
In my spare time I am happiest spending time with my family, going on hikes, exploring new areas, I enjoy photography and playing with paint, I am mindful to practice gratitude.