AstraZeneca Award

I am a PhD candidate in the Nursing Health Systems field of study at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto. My doctoral research has a health policy focus specific to paediatric type 1 diabetes management and care.

I have Bachelor of Nursing Science and Master of Science (Nursing) degrees from Queen’s University, and nursing experience with diverse patient populations including adults, the elderly, and youth living with type 1 diabetes. In my role at the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing, I was involved in several nursing education policy initiatives, which enabled me to see how nurses could lead and influence policy development.  This experience inspired me to further my education to better understand how healthcare policies are shaped and can be evaluated relative to patient and family health outcomes.

I was exposed to the healthcare system at a young age, and saw the significant role nurses have in patient care. These experiences helped shape my decision to pursue a career in nursing – the art and science of the discipline appealed to me, and I felt my experiences could help me deliver quality nursing care to others.  I am working towards becoming a nurse educator and scientist.  I would like to conduct nursing research that is meaningful to individuals living with type 1 diabetes as well as their families, and which influences government health policy.