Tylenol Canada Bursary Program Award

My name is Mavoy Bertram, and I will be entering my third year of the full-time PhD Nursing program at McMaster University. I teach in the undergraduate program at York University, and I am a Paediatric Nurse Practitioner.

My research interests lie in child maltreatment prevention, teen pregnancy, and parenting interventions. My dissertation research focuses on using an equity-oriented lens to understand the different ways Black pregnant and parenting women of the Nurse-Family Partnership experience cultural safety during home visits. That is, do these women feel respected, heard, and experience a sense of safety during their home visits?

I have dedicated over twenty years to nursing, supporting children, adolescents and their families through some of the most vulnerable periods of their lives. From the beginning of my career, my goal has been to make a meaningful difference and positively impact each patient and family I encounter. I believe that during critical times, the presence of a compassionate, supportive and competent nurse, along with a dedicated healthcare team, can significantly enhance the healthcare experience.

My pursuit of a doctoral degree is driven by the desire to extend this impact on a broader scale through research. I aim to use this platform to amplify the voices of those who are often unheard and foster positive change within the healthcare system. Specifically, this degree will enable me to contribute to the knowledge base of Black maternal health. This area has been significantly understudied in Canada, and undertaking this research will help to improve the experiences and outcomes for Black mothers and their families.