Nurse takes pulse of rural health

Helping others fuels Laura Homans Crowell.  

As a registered nurse in Sheet Harbour, a community about 120 kilometres east of the city of Halifax, Laura quickly found her passion for rural nursing, where caring for patients often means caring for an entire community.

While some people find their calling later in life, Laura’s was clear from the start. “I knew I wanted to be a nurse when I was about four years old,” she says. Today, that childhood dream has grown into a career rooted in rural healthcare. 

Even on the most challenging days, it’s the impact of that work that stays with her. “I’ve never left work feeling like I didn’t help somebody,” Laura says. “In rural nursing, they’re not just a patient in a bed,” she says. “You really get to spend the time and give the attention to the person as a whole.”  

It was during her nursing education, while completing a placement in Sheet Harbour, she first discovered the deep sense of purpose that comes with rural nursing. Although the placement happened almost by chance, it quickly became clear that rural healthcare was exactly where she wanted to be. 

Growing up in a small community helped her understand how factors like income, access to services and social supports can shape people’s health; something she now sees reflected in her work every day. Since graduating in 2021, Laura has embraced the many roles that come with working in rural healthcare. 

In addition to her work with patients, she is deeply involved in mentoring and supporting the next generation of nurses. She is currently mentoring both a nursing student and an internationally educated nurse, viewing this role as a chance to share her enthusiasm for rural healthcare practice. 

"This is a unique chance; you can share your passion for rural nursing and show others why you care so deeply about it." 

Her leadership extends throughout the hospital and the community. As a Nova Scotia Nurses Union representative (local president and chief shop steward for central zone), she believes strongly in nurses supporting one another.  

Laura’s commitment to service doesn’t stop when her hospital shift ends. Laura also volunteers with the local fire department as a medical first responder, another way she supports her home community. 

Through her work with the fire service, she has helped lead medical training and is currently working on initiatives to bring additional automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to the area; improving emergency preparedness for communities along the Eastern Shore. She is currently exploring funding opportunities in her role as medical first responder at the Oyster Pond Volunteer Fire Department for AED Save Stations. This would expand access beyond the existing unit in Musquodoboit Harbour.

Advocacy is one of the most meaningful parts of Laura’s nursing career and volunteer work. Whether she is mentoring a new nurse, helping a patient navigate the healthcare system, or responding to an emergency call, Laura sees each role as part of the same larger purpose.

Photo of Laura Homans Crowell.