TD Aboriginal Nursing Fund Award – Master’s

When I was a little girl I wanted to be a doctor. I loved talking and being with people, I loved learning how the body works, and I loved asking questions and solving mysteries. A school counselor in high school suggested that I take my nursing degree so that I could work as a nurse while going to med school. I finished my degree and began working in pediatrics, a place that made me happy every day. In pediatrics, I felt as though I had the time to get to know my patients, to understand them, and to help make their hospital stay a little less scary. The work I have done in pediatrics has shown me that the spirit and art of nursing still have an important place in today’s acute care experience, and that caring and healing can happen through a therapeutic relationship filled with conversation, patience, and a little bit of silliness! Every day I work hard to keep the innocence and laughter that I remember fondly from my own childhood a part of my nursing practice.

I have come to realize that becoming a doctor would not allow me to be what I was meant to be, a nurse. I believe that becoming a nurse practitioner will allow me to continue to pursue the art and science of nursing, while allowing me to better care for children and families, and support my everlasting passion for knowledge.