Hailey Frampton on friendship, volunteering, and her nursing dreams
Westshore's administrative manager talks about the best part of her job and why she loves road trips with friends.
Where do you volunteer?
I volunteer at Vic General hospital at the medical imaging department every week. I help out at reception, directing patients! Originally, I was trying to get into an ultrasound tech program, which required volunteer hours within the medical imaging department. But, things changed and now I’m going into a nursing program, which doesn’t require volunteer hours, but I like the medical imaging department so much, so I’ll continue to keep doing it as long as I have time and I’m able to! I’m hoping to be in school full time next fall (2025).
Why nursing?
I have so many interests in the world of healthcare, and I think nursing would allow me to pursue those interests. I love chatting with patients and getting to know everyone. All throughout high school, I’d always wanted to go into healthcare in some capacity and I think, deep down, to be a nurse. I have a long family history of nursing, my great aunt was a nurse and so are my cousins. They’re in labour and delivery, which is serendipitous because I want to work with kids in some way after finishing school. My dream would be to work in the NICU. I think nursing will be a good path for me.
I feel I connect with kids so well! I really want to make sure I can make their day better, especially young babies who might be struggling. I want to make sure they have a fighting chance at life.
My main goal as a nurse will be to make people feel better, mentally, and physically. I think one of the reasons I love working at Arbutus is because I enjoy talking with our clients. I think it’s important to create a safe space where people feel welcome.
You just adopted two kittens!
This is my first time as a cat mom! When we got them, we were supposed to only walk out with one, but…we ended up with two and we’re glad we did, because they are siblings and they have each other to play with.
What is the best part of your job?
I recently moved up to Admin Manager at Westshore, and I’ve gained so much experience and knowledge. Mackenzie (at our Oak Bay location) is lovely and a phone call away to answer my questions. She’s helped me a lot through this process and now, I feel very comfortable with what I do. I used to work in retail and interacting with customers in that scenario was obviously quite different. Being in this environment is preparing me for the health care world. I’ve loved getting to know everyone I work with here, it’s a comfortable and joy-filled atmosphere!
What do you love most about Victoria?
So many things: all my family are here, and the island as a whole. I love the mountains, forests, and beach and I’m grateful I get to experience it all. I’m a big nature person and really enjoy going for walks, hikes, or swimming. Sometimes, when my friends and I are looking for something to do without spending a lot of money, we’ll take day trips up-island. We love Parksville!
East Sooke Regional Park is one of my favourite places on the island! There’s a beautiful beach there, a rope swing, and it’s in the middle of nowhere so there’s no cell service! My friends and I will go there to have time to ourselves away from our phones and relax.
Why are friends and family important to you?
Spending time with friends and family is one of the most important things in my life. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the toxicity of social media, and how savouring moments outside of it (and our phones) can really help with my mental wellness. It’s so easy to get roped into the online world too much and it can cloud our minds. But, if we have time to do things we love, we can focus on all the good around us. Connecting with my family and friends is really important to me in that way. I love spending time with them exploring, going to the gym, or doing hobbies together. I’d love to get into crocheting and embroidering clothing, and doing that with my friends would be really fun!
Between school and work, it can be hard for us all to find time to do things together, so sometimes we have to get creative. I’ve done late-night gym sessions with friends, even if it’s just 30 minutes. Or, I might have a friend who’s trying to study, so I’ll show up and work on my own hobbies. Being together helps both of us.
