Olivia’s Story

After moving to British Columbia, Olivia found employment at a hospital with Vancouver Coastal Health. Initially, she put a lot of pressure on herself, feeling that her nursing background was relatively junior compared to some of her international nursing peers, who came in with more experience in diverse care areas. However, the supportive and warm welcome she received from her team, especially from the Nurse Educators, quickly put her at ease.

Olivia found her team to be collaborative and open to hearing her ideas and perspectives. She feels that moving to BC has given her the opportunity to embark on her nursing career in a system designed to support and nurture new nurses.

Olivia advises that the process of working as a registered nurse in BC, coming from a background as an internationally educated nurse (IEN), was not an easy journey. She wants to help others learn from her experience and know that they are not alone. She encourages IENs looking to move to BC to start by connecting with Health Match BC for support and guidance. While Health Match BC was not involved in the start of Olivia’s journey, they helped her with the Permanent Residency (PR) process.

When not focusing on the best ways to help others, Olivia can be found replicating some of her favourite Korean restaurant dishes at home, and pursing multiple newfound hobbies. These include honing her DJ skills, and spending time on the water taking sailing courses.