Marla Ellis speaks about her Classic LifeCare experience following 10 years of working as a Nursing Supervisor.
Marla’s Classic LifeCare experience
Marla has worked in a variety of settings, including: surgery, orthopedics, the medical ward, anesthetic, and in plastics. When she started with Classic LifeCare 10 years ago, however, she felt like she had finally found her place in the world.
“It was hard for me to nurse before Classic LifeCare because I had so little time with my patients. I find that my connections with people last longer than their hospital stay. When people come in and out of your life quickly, it may save your heart, but I have built relationships with clients at Classic LifeCare that I cherish long after they are no longer living. I love getting to know our clients.”
Marla’s education as a nurse
Marla graduated from nursing school in 1982 however she was initially interested in a history teacher career.
She was advised against earning an education degree because of a shortage of teaching jobs. Instead, like her grandmother before her, Marla decided to become a nurse.
She attended a three-year Vancouver General Hospital-affiliated nursing school. The government paid the students a small wage as an incentive.
“We received 49 cents per hour. It wasn’t much, but it kept you in white nylons, shoe polish and the odd pint of beer,” she says, with a laugh. “The funny thing is that when I graduated, there was a shortage in nursing jobs!”
She still managed to find employment and a great mentor, who taught her some invaluable tips about positioning a client for their maximum comfort and to alleviate pressure points – tips Marla now shares with fellow nurses and health care workers.
Classic LifeCare’s experience of having Marla on our team
Andrea Warren, Classic LifeCare’s Executive Leader, says Marla came with a wealth of nursing experience and knowledge when she started with Classic.
“I love her exuberance for life and value her opinion on any ethical or medical issue that may arise,” says Andrea. “She’s youthful and can hang out with a 20-year-old or an 80-year-old and have just as much fun with either.”
Marla loves getting to know her clients
“When I make a connection with a client – especially the older men, who may have been in the war, immigrated to Canada, are widowed, have a language barrier – they just rock. They constantly surprise me. You never know what they’ll share with you.
“People are shockingly flexible. A lot of them have taken up learning computer skills. I had a client around Christmas time who was Skyping with his granddaughter and we both had tears in our eyes. This is a man who fought in World War II. Imagine what he’s seen in his life and how much has changed.”
While she finds that most clients tend to keep their guard up around medical professionals, Marla says she has earned the trust of many of them and “you can learn a lot about the soul of a person when you take the time to communicate with them.”
At Classic LifeCare, Marla does home visits with clients, assessments, makes sure their careplans match their individual needs and wishes and oversees the delivery of care by health care workers.
When she first visits a client, she often assures them, “We don’t have to talk about your pills and your catheter right now.” Instead, she gathers information about who that person is, how they live their life, what’s important to them.
“My mom is in care. My dad was her primary caregiver until he died and he was just amazing to her. Since she’s been in care, she has lost 11 pounds. I think it’s so important to pay attention to the food. It’s so important and not just in a nutritional way. It’s social and creates the feel of home.”
Marla’s interests outside of work
When she’s not working or caring for her mother, Marla is a hockey “fanatic” and a Twitcher (AKA bird watcher.)
“Bird watching is certainly not something I would have been interested in when I was in my 30s. However, I love it now, it gets me outside. Sometimes my brain feels like a messy Etch-A-Sketch and when I get into nature, everything becomes clear and quiet. Nature is soothing.”
Marla’s goal is to find some work/life balance between her career and spending time with her family. It helps to keep a pair of rubber boots in her car so she can stop at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary and recharge for a few minutes.
The once aspiring history teacher gets a good dose of history and teaching these days. She talks history with many of her clients and has the opportunity to teach when she does home visits and works with health care workers.
“I have a love of history, but some of these people have lived it. And often in a very traumatic way – psychologically and physically. I feel privileged that they share their histories with me.
“It’s funny that I get my fill of history now, considering I am a nurse and not a history teacher, but sometimes your life leads you on a journey you couldn’t have imagined,” she says. “I believe you should honor the past, live for today and create a future.”
