Humanizing healthcare: building connections in the workplace | Co-operative Education

Lexi Stumpf (she/her) is a third-year student in the Faculty of Health. She discusses how co-op gave her the opportunity to explore different areas of healthcare and how connecting with patients motivates her to do her best.

Lexi's co-op journey:

Work term one: In her first work term, Lexi worked as a special projects student in the human resources department at the . Her main role was leading the digitization of employee health records; she also worked on marketing and wellness teams. She learned how to use healthcare related software and applications such as Parklane. She also learned to use Canva and Adobe Photoshop to produce videos and graphic content in collaboration with the marketing team.

Work term two: Her second work term was at . As a student support worker, Lexi was the lead developer for the agency-wide equity, diversity and inclusion toolkit. She also shadowed therapy sessions in group settings and created marketing materials.

Q&A with Lexi:

Describe in one word your co-op term.

“Inspiring. Especially my term at Family Services Perth-Huron, because I don’t know how psychotherapists do it.”

“To sit with someone in their most vulnerable state and go through their biggest traumas is so emotionally taxing.”

“It’s so inspiring to see them show up for clients all while maintaining a separation between their personal and professional lives.”

“They create such meaningful relationships with everyone in the community.”

What was the most challenging thing about co-op?

“Definitely searching for a co-op. ��ݮ��ƵWorks can be challenging for a health student just because the number of jobs in my field was lower than expected. I used the arrange your own job option. It was scary because I hadn’t ever used that, but I did find a job!”

“Another challenge I faced specifically in my position with Family Services was to learn to not take the experiences of others home with me. I still think about some of the people I talked to and hope they’re doing okay.”

“It was also difficult leaving after four months. I loved the people I worked with and they showed me what a truly welcoming and kind work environment looks like.”

What is one piece of advice that really impacted you?

“I sat in on group therapy sessions and was encouraged to interact in any way I could. I struggled to find the confidence to speak up because I had never done any social work before, it’s not my direct field. My coworker then told me that I just needed to trust myself. What I had to say was more valuable than not speaking up, and that keeping quiet could do more harm than good. This helped me build confidence in knowing that I was saying the right thing.”

“His advice was true because I brought a medical model of thinking to the role. I ran a domestic violence survivors’ group with women who had all sorts of questions about getting tested for sexually transmitted infections and advocating for themselves. Many older adult women didn’t get the same education that we did, so it’s still very taboo for them. Being able to explain that we’re here to help them and these are things you can, and should, talk to your doctor about was very rewarding.”

What motivates you at work?

“One of my biggest values in work is connection and being fulfilled by that connection. Knowing that everything I do has an impact and effect on the people I work with is really big for me. When I come into work I’m feeling like “Okay, I’m ready to do this. I’m ready to put my best foot forward, so that everybody else has a better chance of putting their best foot forward.”

What’s next for you?

“After ��ݮ��Ƶ, I want to keep my options open. I want to experience different avenues in healthcare during co-op by trying different roles and industries. I don’t want to get into a career after my undergrad and not know if that’s where I really want to be.”