Work-loads and assignments there of require evaluation and assessment.
Working conditions are such that there are not enough staff members assigned for planned work-load (elective surgeries). For example inadequate personnel are assigned when executing procedures such as a complex case where nursing support needs to be provided for anesthesia as well as for the surgical team performing surgery (elective or emergent).
There is one anesthesia assistant available on day shift and one for partial coverage during the evening shift. This coverage does help nurses and anesthesia but does not adequately provide coverage on an elective surgery day when there are two or more acute surgeries commencing simultaneously.
Educational opportunities are provided and some funds are available for studies off the hospital campus.
Staff are encouraged to participate in team-building activities when off-duty and these are successful events with very spirited involvement by the nurses working in surgical services.
Personnel are assigned to specialty services according to their skills and interests. Individuals may ask for assignments where they may expand their skills and knowledge according to their educational needs. All of the Clinical Resource Team Leaders are very capable of supplying support for those who wish to expand their ability to perform scrub and circulating roles. Strong support is provided for these efforts by the OR Educator. The OR itself is a dynamic and challenging environment suited to those who wish to test their learning abilitie
ProsExcellent peer support and rapport.
ConsInadequate staff assigned to execute planned work-loads.
Enjoyed the opportunity to expand in my knowledge and experience.
My job was all about multitasking various duties, such as printing needed materials, answering the phone/redirecting calls, answering colleagues' questions, setting up groups (booking rooms, confirming attendance with clients, preparing manuals and CD's for use within group, keeping Excel waitlist up-to-date), scoring and entering self-report measures in computer program, running reports and collecting stats. I also took meeting minutes, as well as maintained supplies and kept electronics in working order. Not to be overlooked is that I trained the new secretary in her position in the psychiatry clinics. I provided support with client appointments, etc. and transcription.
I actually enjoyed the adrenaline rush (if I may put it this way) that came from accomplishing various duties and being productive. I specifically enjoyed learning and applying desktop publishing skills, used to prepare manuals and working with Excel spreadsheets.
Unfortunately, I found management personnel to have a high turnover rate. On the one hand, I missed certain individuals that left; on the other hand, I enjoyed sharing information in order to bring new ones up to speed on my work duties and program procedures. I enjoyed working many years with certain ones of my colleagues.
What I found to be the hardest part of my job was the sometimes unpleasant work atmosphere that arose from communication difficulties between some of my colleagues. I personally enjoyed a good work relationship with each of
1.0
Administrative Assistant | Richmond, BC | Jan 5, 2019
Very poor management with no individual or team support
Too many layers of management within one department with no one taking accountability. When they hit a glitch, they start to point fingers at others. No support from managers for their team. Too much red tape and beaucracy which frustrates patients. They say People First, but it isn't people first for patients and certainly not for employees. Under the Ministry of Health, they take millions of dollars of taxpayers money to profit in healthcare.
Pay is not good for administrative staff and there is no room for promotion but only horizontal moves.
Those who call under casual or temporary full-time are most disadvantaged.
Mgmt only appreciate you because they are short in staff and desperately need to keep you working. Once they get what they want, you become just another employee #. I have not met one manager who actually cares about the employees after them.
Young managers have power ego choosing to intimidate and bully rather than communicate in an effective way. You may say this is an exaggeration but believe me, you will only experience this throughout Richmond VCH once you are in the system. Then you become just another statistic.
You will only regret it if you work for Vancouver Coastal Health. If you are, it is because you have fallen into the union umbrella and fit right into it all.
Prosunion protected
Consvery poor management who don't support; not flexible for vacation
2.0
Respiratory Therapist | Vancouver, BC | Jan 21, 2022
Not Great for Newcomers
Workload is insane for the low pay. Minimum 5 ventilated patients in ICU for example, but could go up to 8. Paper charting, taking ABGs after every small vent change.
Most coworkers were nice but some just treat you as if you're beneath them. My orienteer would sometimes laugh condescendingly when I made mistakes and assumed I was deliberately ignoring patients when I forgot a task. Management can easily come off as insensitive with their attitude or word choice.
They will also have a "mistakes list" filed on you in secret when starting. It not only compiles serious infractions, but minor errors like going for lunch an hour late (they do not bother asking you to explain the situation). If this list grows sufficiently large it will be brought up in front of all the charge RTs and union, and you'll be quizzed in all future shifts. You'd better be able to answer these questions or you're at serious risk of termination. This questioning makes up a bulk of the "support" they promise you if you need it. They really want to emphasize how much they support you but they make up their mind about you pretty early on, and I suspect they only emphasize it due to the union getting on their case about all the RTs who have quit/been fired in the past year.
ProsThe city itself, and some staff are very nice.
ConsCurt management, low pay, hectic work environment with little room for error.
Stressful environment where managment only says negative things
Staffing Clerk Position is a very stressful job. In a small town where there is not enough nursing staff from careaids, LPNs, to RNs...its always the same people doing overtime and staff are burnt out.
You need to know many different unions and who you can pull to cover a shift sometimes spending hours filling one shift and pulling 5 staff from other areas in order to cover just one shift.
Powell River is overseen by Vanouver North Shore managment and they never say anything unless its negative. If a mistake is made and there is a grievance it comes out of staffings budget so again you will be reprimanded. There is major drama and backstabbing in such a small department....so BEWARE!
The pay is great....but managment from Vancouver also thought it was a great idea to change rotations with 2 weeks notice so the full time positions work 5 months of weekends in their rotations and then 2 weeks of one day of weekend in rotation followed by 5 weekend off in a row...so cant have much of a life. If your relief does not come in (which also happens often there) you are stuck and have no choice but to stay.
ProsPay is good
ConsStressful, backstabbing staff, bad mangager from Van, 5 months of weekends in a row in rotation
As a Vancouver Coastal Health volunteer in the community I felt like I was really a difference in the lives of these clients.
For my first client, I would take him for wellness walks around his neighbourhood or in surrounding parks or beaches. Lacking the ability to initiate conversation meant that my goal was to first of all get him doing something active, but also to encourage him to initiate within a conversation. I would take him for a walk once a week for about two hours.
For my second client, I was introduced to a physiotherapist who gave me a general idea of what to work on with the client as well as any health contraindications. With this, I followed the lead of the volunteer before me and would take her into the gym for about an hour workout of either upper body or lower body and then into the pool for some "Aqua Fit" exercises. I would meet up with her once a week for about two hours.
I really enjoyed volunteering with VCH because it was easy to work full-time and volunteer as well. The hours are very flexible in regards to seeing clients as the volunteer coordinator makes sure to match you up with someone who fits your schedule. I would recommend this volunteer position to anyone!
I love the people I work with, they are dedicated to supporting our community health objectives. I get a lot of satisfaction from working with our multidisciplinary team. Seeing health care from other health professional's viewpoints helps me to improve my practice.
The issue arise due to the size of the organization. The frontline workers needs are often neglected by management because they are so far removed from our work situations. We need more support from management to meet our personal needs. We work with difficult populations and sometimes suffer greatly personally due to the atrocities we encounter. That added to our own personal life issues, brings addition of stress to our lives. We are often not supported in taking care of our own needs. It is a shame when we need time to look after our own families we are confronted by obstacles. Often we are denied time off which is ironic when we are caring for other peoples families in our work.
I have worked for VCH for so many years because of the satisfaction I get from the clients and my colleagues, I wish I could feel more supported from the managers.
Prosthe people in which I work
Conshome life not supported
5.0
Community Health Worker | Vancouver, BC | Nov 22, 2012
A company that provides the necessary environment that promotes confidence in their employees to grow as professionals.
Being a new LPN it can be intimidating and overwhelming to be introduced into a new health care setting. During my time at DCHC I was welcomed as part of the team immediately.The passion that exuded from the professionals I had the pleasure to learn from and work with was wonderful. A typical day at work consisted of exceptional client care with the use of significant knowledge and judgement skills. I was able to use my full nursing scope as well as expand and implement my better understanding of prevention and holistic techniques based on the individual. My co-workers were encouraging, supportive, knowledgeable and compassionate professionals. At times the job is overwhelming because there are many outlets to learn and do all at once but for me that is very enjoyable to be consistantley challenged and always learning something new.
4.0
Community Health Worker | Richmond, BC | Oct 6, 2021
Extremely demanding work /standards: management suffers from critical flaws
Very important /keenly needed work assisting/ supporting elderly & vulnerable people to stay safe & healthy in their own homes. Health team support /back-up essential but, unfortunately, often delayed or unavailable—due to insufficient staffing levels (shortage of LPN nurses /skilled, properly-trained front-line workers. Unionized work environment is a major positive factor. Critical flaw/ important deficiencies in management: as agents of a key branch of BC Ministry of Health, IMHO making VCH appear squeaky-clean publicly & on social media (organizational politics)—sometimes translates as disrespectful, quietly-abusive treatment of front-line workers.
ProsWell-funded (BC tax dollars), high standards of care, fulfilling meaningful work
ConsFrequently insufficient hours of home care available to clients
I independently created varies reports to my leader and doctors in hospitals, I also helped to upgrade an old healthcare system to a new one. I attended weekly meeting and director meetings to jot down minutes. I also independently worked on a bed fleet project by contacting vendors and creating reports using Excel and PowerPoint. I was in VCH for eight months and I learned how to effectively communicate with my co-workers and managers and how to ask for tasks when I am finished. My co-workers were really helpful and friendly when I often asked questions. The hardest part of the job was starting as my first internship and I was trying to get used to the working routine, it did not take me long to get familiar with the working environment. The best part of the job is the location, it is located in downtown Vancouver and it is really convinient to eat and drive to work.
Management is inefficient and abusive. Anything goes. I have seen many people destroyed by managements abusive behaviors. They preach a people first philosophy but it is not true at all. As an employee you have no where to go. Human resources department is ineffective, sides on management. Managers kiss up and kick down and get away with it. It is each man for himself, teams are untrusting as the fear is you might be the next target. CEO preaches improvement but there is none. Unfortunate these staff are required by the public as health care providers. Difficult as the staff are just trying to survive the abuse they deal with on a day to day basis. Unions are ineffective as there are so many obstacles in the way. Best is just to hide from management wherever possible. Most of the lower mainland is VCH so if you need a job you just have to suck it up.
Prosnot many
Consuntrained management- bullying culture
Questions and answers about Vancouver Coastal Health
Why would you want to work at Vancouver Coastal Health?
Asked Aug 10, 2017
I want to more challenging my skills and exchange experience and put my competence
Answered Oct 15, 2019
Admire everything about Vancouver,
And desire to be a worker
Answered Aug 25, 2019
What is the work environment and culture like at Vancouver Coastal Health?
Asked Jul 8, 2017
Safe,peaceful, harmonious and that togetherness.
Answered Aug 25, 2019
A friendly, peaceful, safety environment for all the clients/residents and all the staff, which includes working together as a team with a good leadership, being productive and having a positive goal at all times..
Answered Oct 2, 2018
What are the perks offered by Vancouver Coastal Health?
Asked Aug 31, 2017
An Excellent environment for each and everyone
Answered Apr 18, 2018
Benefits, paid training
Answered Mar 14, 2018
What benefits does Vancouver Coastal Health offer?
Asked May 7, 2022
Medical, Dental, Employee and Family Assistance Program
Answered Feb 20, 2023
Non for s casual worker
Answered Jan 18, 2023
If you were in charge, what would you do to make Vancouver Coastal Health a better place to work?
Asked May 24, 2019
Being one of the 6 publicly funded health institution in that province,I will work with departmental heads to upheld and improve more on services delivered ,established and maintain good renumeration to staff,regular training and retraining of staff,I will also avail myself to criticism so as to pave room for improvement and standard maintenance.
Answered Oct 4, 2020
First your self follow just follow the rules and regulations to be pro/friendly invironment and spread system.
