John Vanderlee Award

It has been an empowering experience to receive this award, one that I’m honoured and thankful for. I am embarking on the third year of my journey to becoming a registered nurse at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS.  My desire to become a nurse began to take shape during the year that my father spent in hospital.  Throughout that year, I was exposed to the privilege and beauty of nursing, and was particularly drawn to the unique combination of practical competency and present compassion that nursing staff provided throughout my father’s care.  Now, two years into my education, I have come to the deeper – and humbling – realization of the multi-faceted skill sets and competencies involved in fulfilling the role of a nurse.  To this end, I look forward to continuing my training so that I can join the ranks of these specialized workers.  This award will provide me with greater financial freedom to enable me to invest more time into my studies and additional training; to reach my goal of becoming the kind of nurse that I so appreciated during my father’s hospital stay.

My long-term career passions are continuously being developed and refined, but they centre around the psychological and social elements of health. In particular, I am passionate about work culture and group dynamics as determinants of health services, community outreach, and the implementation of health care to diverse populations.  In regard to these passions, community nursing, nursing education, palliative care, and pediatrics are areas I hope to explore.