AstraZeneca Award

“When you know better you do better”

– Maya Angelou

This simple phrase is the underlying thread that weaves together the stories of a twenty-nine year career in nursing, depicting both richness of experiences and privilege of shared moments in time. While I have worked in many settings, each uniquely challenging, one thing remains constant … I am proud of the work registered nurses do.

In 2008, I became a nurse practitioner and began working with adults living with diabetes.Over the years, my nursing professors encouraged me to “Listen to your patients” yet no one ever asked me “Do you hear what they are saying?” It is my desire to emancipate the stories entrusted to me by older adults living with diabetes; to convey the value of the whispered messages within the stories; stories that are significant to both patient and provider, stories that need to be held up to the light, and stories that have the power to transform practice and influence academic teaching.

Being the mother of four children (ages 8-16), geographically separated from my husband for work, and now a faculty member at UPEI has only strengthened my commitment to my PhD and moving on to a greater body of work integrating shared decision making and chronic disease management in the older adult.

I am thrilled to be the recipient of the CNF AstraZeneca Award, grateful for their support in this important area of research, and for all those who have shared in my journey.