Professional and Social Identity Audit

Since the beginning of my course in MHST 601 at Athabasca University, in January 2023, I have focused on my professional and social inventory and thought about how I want to be perceived in the healthcare field as a healthcare professional. I have seen how my personal information can be seen online through searching on the internet with a google search of my name, and what public information about me is available. I learned how professionalism and social networking are so important, being viewed publicly, how to be seen as a professional, what social media apps are important, and when to use them in a respectful fashion. I have glossed over my education, skills, and experience to highlight how my healthcare journey began and where I want to be in the healthcare industry.

I have a private account on Facebook and Instagram and I have had to update my professional identity through LinkedIn and Twitter, with recent professional pictures. As I monitored my personal usage, I noted that I post family pictures, motivational posters, and positive images on my Facebook feed, reply to people in a respectful manner, and have polite mannerisms online. I have updated my profiles with current information about my employment, education, and current degree in health studies through Athabasca University.

Upon reflection on my education since 1996, when I graduated from Salisbury Composite High School in Sherwood Park, Alberta, I was not sure what career path to take. I had no healthcare experience, so I began with first aid certification. In 2006, I started my emergency medical responder training at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and became an emergency medical responder. During the summer of 2007, I worked as an emergency responder in the oil field before deciding to work in home care in Edmonton, Alberta in the fall of 2007. I loved working with seniors and people with disabilities! I worked for two different home care companies and thrived working independently in Edmonton, Alberta. I wanted to be certified and in 2012 I completed my certification through Norquest College in Edmonton, Alberta as a healthcare aide. I wanted to gain experience working with pediatrics so I took specialized trachea care training to be a respite caregiver through the company I worked with. Afterward, I did palliative care for cancer, dementia, and disabled clients in their homes.

It was here that I was a crossroads in my healthcare career as there were no advancement employment opportunities in my field unless I became a licensed practical nurse or a registered nurse. So I decided to work in a different healthcare field and I was interested in massage therapy at MacEwan University because it is a recognized university with transferable credits for post-secondary education. I wanted to help people from a front-line defense of preventing and healing injuries.

In 2017, I graduated with a 2200-hour massage therapy diploma from MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. I was a registered massage therapist in two different holistic clinics in Edmonton and assisted clients in managing pain, stress, and injuries through therapeutic massage therapy techniques. I decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Health Science, and I transferred as an undergrad of health studies at Thompson Rivers University in 2018 at Kamloops, British Columbia, and became a full-time open-learning student from 2020-2022. I graduated in April 2022 with a Bachelor of Health Science degree.

Today, I am enrolled in the Master of Health Studies through Athabasca University, Alberta.

I continue maintaining certificates and ongoing education. I hold an emergency First Aid with CPR-C and AED certificate from St. Mark James Training, which expires on June 29/25. In addition, I have an associate certification with the Natural Health Practitioners of Canada (NHPC) for my massage therapy membership which will be renewed in June 2023.

I belong to a union at my job through Canada Post and maintain a professional appearance online to my peers through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Google. I am a known classical cello soloist and have made headline news through the communities I performed at, and I am respected as a classical music professional. I am a triathlete and I am in the triathlon news from when I participated in a race in 2022 at Penticton, BC. I love to volunteer with community events, help others, and being able to make a positive difference in my city. I have served on non-profit committees and boards for which I was accountable for being present as vice president, secretary, treasurer, and chairperson and being responsible for fundraising ideas and collection of funds for these societies.

In conclusion, I believe that through this audit, I have learned that my education has placed me on the path to a rewarding career in health and want to utilize my skills in a public sector setting and I continue to strive towards employment that will utilize my knowledge and concepts for creating positive changes and outcomes for communities. I know that my degree will take me to a higher-paying salary in a healthcare government career in the healthcare system whether federally, provincially, or municipally.