Innovative Medicines Canada Award

I knew from a very young age I was destined to become a nurse. My mother, a nurse of 35 years and counting, was my role model and inspiration throughout my childhood and adolescent years. The qualities of a great nurse including kindness, caring, compassion and empathy I inherited from her. I excelled in my undergraduate nursing degree and knew that I wanted to pursue my education in nursing through completion of graduate studies.

I currently work on a neurosurgical unit but also have experience in orthopedics and urology. When I was accepted into Memorial University’s part-time nurse practitioner degree program, I was thrilled to begin a new chapter in my career and fulfill my dream of graduate education. The nurse practitioner program has taught me the advanced role that nurses can play in the care of individuals, families, and populations.

In addition to being a floor nurse, I am also a nurse educator for both PN and BN students. I love to teach nursing and to help instill the knowledge and confidence these students require to become competent nurses. I instruct clinical rotations in the areas of urology and orthopedics. I love my role as an educator because it allows me to give back to the nursing profession and to help students build the character, knowledge, skills, and compassion required to be great nurses. A profession in nursing is challenging and rewarding. I have always wanted to make a difference in the lives of people and a career in nursing is allowing me to do just that. I have had an extremely rewarding career in nursing and I am looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. I am very grateful for the CNF award, as it supports my graduate education as an aspiring nurse practitioner.