Jillesa Sanderson Career Spotlight

Jillesa Sanderson is a Licensed Practical Nurse from Chakastaypasin First Nation. Read more about her healthcare career journey below!

What area of healthcare do you work in? Where do you work?

I am a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) working out of both Saskatoon City and Royal University Hospitals. 

What are you responsible for as a Licensed Practical Nurse?

My role is to be a competent, responsible and professional caregiver.

I am responsible to continue learning to ensure my knowledge is current and up to date. I am responsible to provide ethical and safe care. I am responsible to provide a professional relationship with my patients, families and the healthcare team. 

Please describe a typical day at work and how you incorporate your Indigenous ways of life into your workplace?

A typical day as a surgical ward LPN is being able to “think on your feet”. You have got to have that critical thinking mindset. I am constantly prioritizing and making checklists to ensure safe competent care is being provided. Respecting one another is one of the Indigenous ways of knowing that I bring into the workplace.

Thinking of the medicine wheel, how do you balance your work life and personal life working as an LPN?

I use these different strategies to balance my work life and personal life:

• Physically- I decompress at the gym
• Mentally- I take a moment to myself if things get overwhelming.
• Spiritually- I practice smudging at home
• Emotionally- I love spending my downtime with my loved ones

What are your hobbies or interests outside of work?

I enjoy round dancing, attending pow-wows, and travelling.

Have you always wanted to be a Licensed Practical Nurse? Tell us more about your career path!

I completed by Adult Basic Education, graduating from Cumberland College in Melfort. 

My interest in being a nurse came after experiencing taking care of my loved ones at home. I enrolled in the first Indigenous Practical Nursing cohort at Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) and graduated with honours in 2021. My first position as an LPN was in long term care at Samaritan Place in Saskatoon and I am now working at both Saskatoon City and Royal University Hospitals.

My other jobs in the past include customer service and waitressing. My people skills that I use as an LPN stem from this experience. Working as an LPN is a job that requires multi-tasking, hands on skills, critical thinking, assessing and evaluating patient care and working as part of a multi-disciplinary team. 

My end goal is to work in northern communities! To reach this goal, I am applying to complete the bridging program to become a Registered Nurse.

Do you have any advice for students or new graduates looking to pursue a career as an LPN? Are there specialty areas that are in more demand than others? 

My advice is to always be willing to learn and do your hands on skills to gain confidence and experience as a new LPN. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. 

They need LPNs in all specialties - there are a lot of opportunities! 

What is the number one thing you love about being an LPN?

I love being able to take care of others and learn new things every day!