Jhoanna's Career Journey at MGH

Tell us about yourself!

Hi, my name is Jhoanna Manlapas and I am a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) in the Peri-Anaesthesia Care Unit Recovery Room at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH). I have been working at MGH for ten years now!

What motivated you to join MGH?

I did my clinical placement at MGH when I was a student. I saw firsthand how great the staff members and community were. Not only did I learn so much from my preceptor, but I learned a lot from everyone as everyone was so willing to teach me. I knew the longer I was in this type of environment, the more I would learn. The team’s spirit motivated me to join MGH.

What types of learning, mentorship or professional development opportunities have you had the opportunity to pursue since joining MGH?

Being on the Nursing Resource Team gave me the opportunity to work in different units and be trained in different skills. Since joining MGH, I have been able to attend conferences related to my unit and improve my skills and become a 'super user' in PowerChart. I also had the opportunity to take a course related to peri-anaesthesia. Taking this course gave me the confidence to go back to school and pursue the bridging program to become a Registered Nurse. I am currently in the process of doing that now with help from MGH's Tuition Assistance Program.

Can you share your career path at MGH? 2012: I started as a part-time RPN on the Nursing Resource Team. I think is the best place to start when you are new graduate as you are able to see all the units and be trained with different skills.

2014: I transferred to a position as a temporary, full-time RPN in the Day Surgery unit. My goal was to find a unit that I could work in permanently. At the time, this temporary position was a good fit for me as I could see if I enjoyed working in the unit and if I could handle working full-time hours.

2015: I secured a permanent position as a full-time RPN with the Day Surgery unit. My temporary position made me fall in love with this unit so much. The team is always very welcoming and I knew I wanted this to be my unit permanently.

2018 - Present: The Day Surgery unit and Recovery Room merged to create a new unit. During this time, there have been many opportunities that have come up. This has motivated me to go back to school and pursue the bridging program to become an RN.

What motivates/inspires you?

Work can always be stressful, but the people you work with make a significant difference. Every staff member treats you like a family member and it is truly phenomenal. I always enjoy going to work knowing that I will be seeing and working alongside my work family.

I gain new knowledge every day, both professionally and personally. I try to make work as enjoyable as possible. When I'm feeling stressed or my colleagues are feeling stressed, I will sing to uplift their spirits and the spirits of our patients!

If you could share one memorable moment from your time at MGH, what stands out to you? 

One year during Nursing Week, the Day Surgery unit decided to celebrate by assigning a theme to each day and we would dress up according to the theme. On the first day, everyone wore a tiara. On the second day, we each wore a cowboy hat and bandana around our necks. On the third day, we wore the traditional nursing cap. On the fourth day, our clerk who makes Caribana costumes let us borrow her head pieces for the day. On the final day of the week, we all wore capes. It was a very memorable and fun week! We didn’t care if we looked silly. We were happy to bring a smile to our patients’ faces. It was heartwarming to see them having fun and celebrating with us.