Three years ago October 13,2021, Grand River Hospital (which I now call the 'slaughterhouse') put hundreds of healthcare professionals on unpaid leave for non-compliance, leading to termination a month later. Even as I write this, it still feels unreal. How did that make any logical sense, especially during a 'pandemic'? It doesn’t but —moving on!
I’ve shared my story on social media and through numerous podcasts, but for those who are new here, I want to take a moment to share my journey, Retiring & Thriving at the age of 43!
On October 12, 2021, I walked away from GRH for the last time, officially being placed on unpaid leave the following day. That day, thanksgiving Monday, I worked a split shift to help out one of the many units facing a nursing shortage/ crisis—ironic, isn’t it?
A part of me died that evening walking out after my last shift. Being a GRH nurse was my identity; I spent more time with my colleagues than with my non nurse friends. I celebrated holidays there, (while missing holidays with my own family) and shared my life with my coworkers. My nurse friends supported me through so many seasons of my life, and I truly felt they were my family.
In the late summer of 2021, when news of possible terminations due to being unvaccinated surfaced in the media, I couldn’t understand how most of my nurse friends and colleagues couldn’t see the bigger picture. Regardless of their beliefs, I was baffled that they didn’t advocate for us, especially knowing that firing so many of us would directly affect their jobs too, given GRH’s severe nursing shortage at the time. Not to mention, when in the history of our profession has there been mass terminations due to non-compliance with an experimental drug with no data showing long term side effects? When in fact we worked the entire pandemic thus far, unvaccinated.
Yet, no one spoke up. Everyone remained silent—even our unions didn’t defend us. Some nurses, including close friends of mine, fully supported the organization’s decision to carry out the mass terminations. Some even labeled us as terrorists, while others hoped we wouldn’t receive unemployment benefits. Ironically, they got their wish—Canada Revenue Agency denied all claims for unvaccinated individuals who were placed on leave or terminated for non-compliance. Unbelievable, right?
Before the pandemic, I thought I had my life all figured out. I planned to stay a nurse at Grand River Hospital until I retired at 65. I loved my job, my coworkers, and caring for the patients. I took pride in knowing most employees in the hospital, and worked almost every unit of the hospital as a Float Nurse. Nurses Week 2020, the GRH PR team, chose me to take over their IG account for the day to show the public the inside of the hospital during the pandemic. I felt like the Miss Congenitally of GRH. The stability of my career brought me so much comfort. I even remember saying, 'I’m a nurse! I’ll never have to worry about losing my job.' How wrong I was.
I was content living in what I thought was my forever home at 23 Ash Street. I worked shift after shift, often taking on extra hours to make sure I had enough to cover all the bills, support my family, and indulge in my passion for home decor. I took pride in having the cutest house on the block, decorating for every season—Homesense was my weakness, The only vacations we took were for hockey tournaments. I was single and celibate for a decade with my focus solely on raising my kids, maintaining my fitness, and advancing my career in both nursing and firefighting. Yes, I successfully became a Firefighter at 43 years old. I passed ALL physical tests that are physically challenging for BOTH men and women. I’ve often wondered why the universe led the way for me to go fire school, training, and the intense stress of testing & interviews when there was obviously a bigger plan for me. In the summer of 2022, I found out why—my path as a firefighter led me to Keith, the love of my life, my soulmate, and best friend. Keith, a retired Kitchener firefighter of 30 years, ‘called in’ his retirement on November 23, 2021—coincidentally the same day Gabe and I left for Nicaragua, though we didn’t know each other at the time.
I’ll share more about our incredible love story another day. It's even more romantic than the Notebook.
I tried to fit into the mold of a 'normal' life, but deep down, I always felt different. It was like I could never quite fit into the cookie-cutter lifestyle that so many of my friends and coworkers were content with. I was raised non-conventionally. We did not have TV, my mom would make us eat her homemade granola, and refuse to buy the "cool cereal" that the other kids ate. We weren't even allowed out for halloween. When we eventually got a TV, watching Saturday morning cartoons was out of the question. We had to stack wood for our schoolhouse home, which was mainly heated by a wood stove. Looking back, I’m grateful to my mother for not letting us be influenced by the 'Tel-LIE-Vision' or giving us the poison cereals. As a result, all of my siblings are awake to whats happening in the world.
So when the universe presented me with an opportunity to tap out of the norm, leave the matrix, become debt free, I felt it so deeply in my gut, I intuitively knew
I HAD TO LET GO TO GROW & TAKE THE BIGGEST LEAP OF FAITH EVER!
Losing my career also meant saying goodbye to my forever home, the home my dad grew up in. The heartbreak was like nothing I had ever experienced. I sold my home in just three days for a ridiculous price, which was our ticket to freedom. With one month to pack up and leave for Nicaragua, I raced against the clock before the November 30 deadline, when unvaccinated travelers would no longer be allowed to fly. (yes, this actually happened) The day we left Canada was also the day the sale closed. I took a few moments in my empty house, crying my heart out, and begged to God, the angels, and the universe for a better life on the other side. The pain was overwhelming. I left behind my home, my family, my friends, and everything I knew as normal. The rest of me died that day.
On November 25, 2021, I saw the ocean for the first time, and that’s when my healing journey truly began. As soon as I felt the waves, I knew deep down I had made the right choice, even though so many people thought I was absolutely crazy. I was truly free! A feeling I have come to realize that, unfortunately most people will never experience. We took a few months to settle in to the climate and the culture. I rented a home that was also for sale, and I was instantly drawn to its beautiful Guanacaste tree. I eventually bought the property outright, with no mortgage or loans—it's fully mine. I finally took the time to just BE which was a very new experience for me, as I hadn't been without a job since I was 13. It felt strange, but I knew I needed time to heal.
In the summer of 2022, Gabriel and I returned to Canada for the summer season. Leaving Canada was a significant change for a teenager. He decided to stay in Kitchener with his father. It felt very strange for me —I've been a mom since I was 16 years old and had never really just sat with myself. This is when things really started to shift for me!
In Spring 2023, the universe offered me another opportunity. I had been listening to Jason Christoff’s podcast, which opened my eyes to what was really going on in the world. When he announced a new semester of his coaching school, my intuition screamed, ‘You have to do this!’ So, I listened. I committed full-time from May to December and became a Christoff Certified Self Sabotage Coach on December 23, 2023. I launched my incredible website, New Years Day and ‘The Unregistered Nurse,’ was born—a perfect way to close out the year and start the next. Although my mentor, Jason Christoff, suggested against the name, The Unregistered Nurse, the new, empowered version of me trusted my gut and went for it. Becoming truly empowered means taking charge of my life and trusting myself when something feels right. Jason Christoff has been an amazing mentor, and I wouldn’t be here without his guidance. Jason, I think you read my emails, thank you for all you have done for me! Follow him here
If there’s one thing people know about me, it’s that I don’t back down, ever! I refused to let GRH ruin my life. In fact, they unknowingly gave me the greatest gift by pushing me off the edge I was too scared to leap from. Now, I’m soaring higher than I ever imagined.
I retired at age 43. I did not think this was in my cards. I was a single mom, living paycheck to pay check, I was the underdog with a future that was scripted. I broke free. Was it hard?? Yes absolutely! But it's so freaking worth it! Some might say I’m ‘lucky,’ but luck has nothing to do with it. It’s about courage, trusting my intuition, and building strength—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I made one choice that changed the course of my life forever, and now I make conscious decisions every day to keep improving my life.
As Lisa Nichols says,
‘I am an ordinary woman who chooses every day to make one more extraordinary decision.'
Today, I am Thriving—not only as an Empowered Woman, Mother, Girlfriend, and The Unregistered Nurse but as a more resilient and authentic version of myself. Letting go of the old Nurse Corrie, the matrix Corrie. The Corrie you see on the left side of the top photo, has vanished. I am open to receive new opportunities, I am pursuing new passions, I am exploring the world, I am building my business that I’m so freaking passionate about, and creating a life that feels true to who I truly am!
I want to give a huge thank you to those who support and uplift me. My amazing children, Taylor and Gabriel, my boyfriend Keith, my parents, my siblings Josh, Lucinda, and Jesse, my extended family who have stayed connected, my incredible tribe of friends, both old and new, my empowerment coach Ben Grant Mitchell and the fantastic online community. I’m so grateful to attract such wonderful people into my life—it's truly amazing! Thank you all for being a part of my journey
If you’re facing your own challenges, know that it’s possible to thrive beyond them. I am here to support you, whether through my Serenity & Strength Retreat, Online Coaching, Become Unstoppable Course or simply being a listening ear. I am here for you!!
Thank you for being part of my community. Here’s to thriving, together!
Yours in Health & Wealth,
Corrie Bignell
The Unregistered Nurse
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