Front line health care workers are the backbone of our health care system, which is why VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation is inviting the community to show their support for these essential workers with a donation this May.
Donor support provides healthcare workers with the tools and technology they need, along with research grants and educational supports, allowing them to bring the latest advancements and discoveries to B.C. patients, providing them with the best possible care.
One of these health care workers is Alexia Jones, a registered nurse. She is the nurse navigator for the Lung Evaluation & Assessment Program at Vancouver General Hospital. She supports lung cancer patients and their families throughout their journey, including palliative care.
“I think I always knew I wanted to be in health care,” says Jones. “It's absolutely something that I think I was made for.”
Jones was born in Vancouver and grew up in Fraser Valley. She is the middle child with two brothers. Possibly due to her slot in the family tree, Jones always felt a need to “overachieve”, as she puts it.
The current mother of one works full-time as a nurse navigator, and in her spare time she is going to school to complete a master’s degree in counselling psychology, competing in soccer tournaments, summer volleyball tournaments, and practicing as an amateur bodybuilder.
Jones began her career at the VGH transplant unit, where for six years she helped care for liver, pancreatic, renal and lung transplant patients. She loved the specialization of the work, the unit and the team, but she still felt like a piece was missing—leadership experience.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Jones swiftly pivoted and ended up supporting two of the COVID units at VGH. It was one of the most difficult times of her life, but she was always up for a challenge.
This is when she met key people who were looking to fill the vitally important role of the new nurse navigator position. Jones applied, interviewed and got the role.
The next challenge
Since then, she has helped countless individuals navigate through some of the most challenging moments of their lives. And as she continues working and learning in her new master’s program, she envisions a future where both sides meet.
“Counselling, it just feels right in terms of how I enjoy engaging with people and speaking with them,” says Jones. “But honestly, it actually has worked out in a really interesting way in the sense that a lot of the support that I provide patients in this role is emotional support, even unintentionally.”
This May, donations made to support the work of Jones and her fellow health care experts will be matched – doubling your impact. Donate to this matching fund and help VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation transform health care, together.
Learn more at vghfoundation.ca/health-care-month.
