Before becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse, Lee Frederick taught for 10 years in China. So, it’s little surprise that he is now using his teaching skills in his current role as a nurse at Parksville’s Arrowsmith Lodge. Along with four co-workers, Lee recently completed SafeCare BC’s Safe Resident Handling Train-the-Trainer course.

“I see my friends getting hurt,” Lee says when explaining why this type of training is important to him. “Our resident demographic is unpredictable, and it’s easy to get hurt.”

Lee notes that the information from the course was easy to learn and practical as they transitioned from the theory and words on paper to applying the skills in the resident’s room. “We learned how to teach,” he says. “We are now working with our co-workers to show them things we’ve learned—new approaches and different ways of doing things.” Lee is excited about the opportunity to lead some in-service training at the Lodge.

According to Lee, Arrowsmith Lodge is becoming more safety-oriented, and he sees many positive changes. “It’s very encouraging when you see support for health and safety come from the leadership,” he adds. “It’s the beginning of creating a culture of safety, and it can’t happen without support from the top.”

Lee knows first-hand the impact of workplace injury, as he was once off work once three weeks because of one. “I hated being hurt and being off work,” he says. “I see people get injured at work and have chronic pain that they live with forever. It’s not good.”

Aside from the human injury cost, Lee also sees the financial cost. “Instead of paying additional WorkSafeBC premiums because of injuries, we could use that money to have more staff on the floor or provide more recreation for our residents.”