We are IH: Kim Forsyth

We are IH is a recognition campaign to spotlight Interior Health employees and medical staff – through pictures and stories. 

Name: Kim Forsyth

Worksite: Kelowna General Hospital

Years of Service: 11

Job Title: Clinical Practice Educator for Post-Anesthesia Recovery Room

Quote: "Nothing can dim the light that shines from within" _{- Maya Angelou.}

As the first face they see as they awaken from surgery, patients are greeted with Kim's warm and welcoming smile. Her kind demeanour puts people at ease as she guides them through the post-anesthesia recovery.

“Post-anesthesia recovery is a unique part of a patient’s journey that not many people get to see. When my patients first wake up, it is a sense of relief, happiness, and positivity. It’s the first step of the recovery phase.” _{- Kim Forsyth, Clinical Practice Leader for PeriAnesthesia Recovery, Kelowna General Hospital}

To help us celebrate PeriAnesthesia Nurses Week, Kim reminiscences on her journey to finding what she calls her "happy place" in the Post-Anesthesia Recovery room. Working at Kelowna General Hospital for over 11 years, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role overseeing and assisting with the education of all staff in the Post-Anesthesia Recovery department. Her enthusiastic personality shines through her work as she inspires her team to have fun as they learn with an interactive approach, such as the beloved game of Jeopardy.

Kim's proudest moment at Interior Health is advancing to her long-time career aspiration of being a clinical practice educator for PeriAnestheisa Recovery. Young Kim was always lending a helping hand, caring for others and playing nurse with her friends and family. At a young age, she knew that she wanted to pursue her passion for helping and teaching others, but she wasn't quite sure if that was as a teacher or a nurse. During a presentation by a group of nurses on health-care careers at her school in Grade 9, a lightbulb went on and Kim knew that becoming a nurse was the career she wanted to pursue.

As her career developed, she found a niche as a clinical practice educator where she could blend her two passions; nursing and teaching. Growing up very close with her family in Kelowna, she wanted to stay in close proximity as she pursued her Bachelor of Science as a Registered Nurse at the University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus. 

Eager to put her education into practice, she pursued a career at Interior Health working in the Intensive Care Unit at Kelowna General Hospital as a Critical Care Nurse. Following her curiosity in the vast field of nursing, she felt a sense of excitement as she rolled her patients into the PostAnesthesia recovery room. Her interest was sparked further as her friendly co-worker welcomed Kim with a short tour and explanation of the wonderful world of PostAnesthesia Recovery. With the support of her family, co-workers, and management, she followed her curiosity and found her "happy place" in the PostAnesthesia Recovery room.

"Follow your curiosity, learn what you are passionate about, find what inspires you and take the leap! There are so many career opportunities out there and you can find one that you love." _{- Kim Forsyth, Clinical Practice Leader for PeriAnesthesia Recovery, Kelowna General Hospital}

As the COVID-19 pandemic brought a lot of change, it affected Kim both personally and professionally. As a leader, she adjusted and guided her team through these changes in the workplace to ensure a safe experience for all.

With perseverance and a positive attitude, Kim has helped navigate her team throughout the ongoing pandemic, but she is looking forward to it being over. The pandemic created another shift in her personal life as she found another passion of hers. With new restrictions in place, she was unable to catch up with a friend over lunch, so they decided to find a new way to connect while snowshoeing. Her love of the outdoors grew as she discovered the world of snowshoeing while taking in the scenic views of the Okanagan.

When Kim isn’t teaching others, making her patients smile, or snowshoeing on mountain tops, you can find her cozy at home, quilting. Inspired by her mom's hobby as a quilter, they bonded over this creative hobby creating memories and quilts.

Kim believes happiness, positivity, and perseverance are essential to everyday life. Kim applies the determined, ambitious, and positive connotation of this quote to all aspects of her life and job: work hard, be kind and always help others along the way. Thank you for sharing your story and celebrating PeriAnestheisa Nurses week with us. The work you do is incredible and we are so grateful!

Nominate your colleagues to keep the We Are IH loop going:

Name: Christie Cornell

Message: Christie was the kind and welcoming nurse working in the PostAnesthesia Recovery room the day I realized how I wanted to advance my career. I credit where I am now to her!

For more information contact EmployeeExperience@InteriorHealth.ca.