They Need Nurses

There are good reasons why they're having trouble finding and keeping nurses in these communities. Few people have any idea how very isolated they are. Many of them are cut off from the rest of the world for months at a time; the weather is their enemy. If it doesn't get cold enough and stay cold enough in the winter to freeze the lakes to an adequate depth, the winter roads can't be opened. Some reserves are fly-in year round. These factors make the cost of living extremely high. Many of the reserves are supposed to be "dry" but the locals will find a way to make intoxicants, or else they'll inhale solvents. Of course, these people are in the minority but they make it difficult and dangerous for everyone. The nurse is often the only health care provider in the community, with a huge amount of responsibility. Imagine being completely alone except for a short-wave radio in a poorly-equipped clinic when a man arrived on a snowmobile having nearly amputated his foot while cutting wood. He's hemorrhaging, shocky and needs a medivac. It can be very frightening to be the one holding the bag. It takes a truly special, skilled and confident person to take on that kind of job. In a perfect world, there would be adequate and accessible health care in every community inthe country, but that's not realistic. And unfortunately it's the native population that suffers.