From small villages to backwater hamlets, gathering places for the agricultural community have always been my home. So when I graduated with my nursing degree, I saw no better way to start my career than to take care of the people I know best: farmers.
I began nursing in two separate cities in southwestern Ontario. I worked in a community hospital in one, and in a long-term care centre in another. My knowledge of rural nursing grew because of the farmers I got to know through my practice. In fact, my patients helped me realize that nursing, to me, is a practice informed and guided by the community I serve.
By attending fall fairs, helping neighbours muck horse stalls, and immersing myself in an agricultural society, I began to understand health from the perspective of farming communities. I also learned when soybeans are ready for harvest, and how to spot the difference between Jersey and Holstein dairy cattle.
Reflecting on this, I can’t overlook one particularly special experience: my reign as the 2014-2015 Bruce County Queen of the Furrow, a leadership position for young women who are interested in agriculture, and show promise in public speaking. Across Ontario, there are nearly 25 Queens crowned each year to champion agricultural causes.
Raised in a farming family, I thought I could champion a love for rural living. However, not long after being crowned, the nurse in me (who was still practising) realized my focus would be to champion the cause of rural health. Farmers, who don’t usually fuss over health, inadvertently supported my cause by openly discussing health-related issues when I mentioned I was an RN. The politicians and members of the media that I met would also discover I was a nurse, and ask my thoughts on rural health issues, such as the high rate of occupational injury among famers, or the challenges retaining health-care professionals in rural areas.
Eventually, I came to realize how inseparable my nursing career was from my role as Queen, and decided to make the most of this unique opportunity. I embraced every conversation with the public at agricultural events as a chance to learn more about rural health from the patient perspective. I wanted to know what farmers thought was lacking in their health care, how they felt about reduced access to specialized health services, and what they wanted to see in terms of management of chronic lung disease after long-term exposure to agricultural pollutants. When my year-long reign was over, I handed the crown to the next Queen, realizing I had formed a strong idea of what nursing means to me.
My experience as Queen of the Furrow may seem strange to anyone outside of an agricultural community. It was strange for me too at times. Yet, several years later, I view the experience as being quintessential to who I am as a nurse.
Hearing directly from the community gave me knowledge of what patients expected from my care, how they valued their health, and what obstacles they encountered when pursuing rural health services. Today, rural care is the focus of my research as a master’s student at Western University. This knowledge continues to inspire my passion for rural nursing long after my crown was passed down.