CNF Award

As a nursing student, I have witnessed how health is directly shaped by societal structures of power. I have been engaged in a visceral way that is markedly different from how I operated as a graduate student or a community worker in the field of sexual assault. My scholarship from the Canadian Nurses Foundation will allow me to complete my degree and focus more of my energies on becoming the nurse I want to be. This financial support means the world to me and will help me to explore my passion for excellence in community practice.

During my maternity placement, I helped to care for a 16-year-old refugee. Our positive interactions were overshadowed by anxiety about her immigration status. In my pediatrics rotation, I worked with a number of foster mothers. Discussing how to use soda to unblock a G-tube felt so insignificant in comparison to their unanswered questions regarding home care supports that loomed large.

As I reflect on my experiences so far as a nursing student, I recall individuals whose acute hospitalizations represented significant yet relatively small portions of their lives. This June, I presented with four of my peers at the National Community Health Nurses Conference. We showcased some recent changes to nursing curricula that reflect the needs of transgender clients. The financial support from the CNF will enable me to continue to seek out opportunities to learn about community practice. Thank you so much to all the people who make these scholarships possible.