Union activism helped nurse find balance between two cultures
Name: Sara Johl
Occupation: Medical/Surgical Assessment Nurse
Union: BCNU (Steward and Regional Lobbyist)
Sara Johl’s immigration from India to Canada gave her family lots of opportunities for professional and personal discovery.
“In the early 1970’s my father moved to Canada because he wanted to give our family a better future,” says Johl. “A few years later my mom and siblings joined him, and our family began to spread roots into the Indo-Canadian and western cultures of BC’s Lower Mainland.”
Sara and her siblings attended Vancouver area schools and did what many young children do – dream about a happy future and make plans for a satisfying career.
“I clearly remember my grade eight teacher asking us to write down our career goal,” says Johl. “I knew exactly what I wanted – I wanted to be a nurse.” It was this career choice and the confidence she gained through union activities that helped Johl find balance between her Indian heritage and the wider Canadian culture.
Johl remembers her early curiosity about medical things such as human anatomy, disease and medicines. This curiosity combined with the death of a close childhood friend impelled her to enter the nursing program at Kwantlen College.
Johl earned her diploma from Kwantlen and began her nursing career at Richmond Hospital working with ill elderly patients. Her desire to keep learning moved her to explore other areas of nursing such as maternity, cardiac care and emergency departments. Johl also taught nursing at both Stenberg College and Kwantlen University.
“One of the things I like most about nursing is the ability to care for patients in various areas of medicine,” says Johl. “The different nursing roles I’ve done are similar to the diversity of roles I’ve enjoyed at the BC Nurses’ Union.”
When Johl first developed an interest in BCNU she was surprised to learn that her union was about more than simply bargaining collective agreements. BCNU offered her opportunities for both personal growth and professional development.
“BCNU helped me discover my leadership potential. As I attended more union functions my confidence and self esteem increased,” says Johl. “I learned about my strengths and weaknesses and that helped my career move forward.”
Johl fully supports Canada’s public healthcare system. “I don’t ever want to see the day when Canadians pay for healthcare like they do in the US,” says Johl. “Public healthcare is a fair system because everyone gets quality care regardless of their ability to pay. Access to healthcare is very important for new Canadians.”
With other South Asian members, Johl represents BCNU at events like community blood and glucose clinics and the Lower Mainland’s Visakhi festivals. Johl says, “I like being active, but raising young children puts a limit on my activities outside the home.”
Johl regularly encourages foreign educated nurses to attend BCNU events like the annual Human Rights and Diversity Conference.
“My union helped me develop a lot of skills and become more aware of my inner self,” says Johl. “Those opportunities helped me find a good balance between my Indian heritage and Canadian culture. And that’s something I hope all new Canadian nurses can discover.”