When Valeriya Charlopov began her journey with Schlegel Villages as a casual Personal Support Worker (PSW) at The Village of Aspen Lake, while attending nursing school, she quickly found comfort in the sense of community within the Village. After graduating as a Registered Nurse (RN) in 2013, there were unfortunately few opportunities for nurses within the Village.
“It was a different time,” she says, and as much as she would have liked to have transitioned into a nursing role at Aspen Lake, she found a separate RN job in the community before returning to school to become a Nurse Practitioner. Once she achieved her certification, she started working in a busy community-based primary care setting that reminded her at times of how much she appreciated the team environment at Aspen Lake.
It was during her maternity leave that Valeriya noticed postings for full-time NP roles in long-term care settings, specifically with Schlegel Villages. Motivated by fond memories and a strong connection to the Village culture, she returned surprised and reassured to see familiar faces among the residents and long-standing team members who had grown into new leadership roles.
“I just have really fond memories and good experiences from working as a PSW here,” she says; “it just always felt like a place I could go back to. It was nice to see familiar faces from back in the day and seeing how everyone’s moved on and grown over the years, but also the retention—it really speaks to the organization.”
She now thrives at Aspen Lake as a Nurse Practitioner, where she values the collaborative environment, the long-term relationships with residents and team members, and the supportive leadership.
“In primary care, I was largely autonomous,” she says. “Here, you're just surrounded by a team. I felt extremely supported by the leadership team. Everyone’s just so welcoming and always open door.”
For Valeriya, working in the Village has not only been professionally fulfilling, but has also allowed for a much healthier work-life balance compared to primary or acute care. She is surrounded by deep relationships in the Village that first welcomed her as she started her path to becoming a nurse practitioner.
“It’s funny how things work out,” she says. “I never obviously knew I would end up back here… but it feels like the perfect fit.”
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