TD Aboriginal Nursing Fund Award – Master’s

My dreams of becoming a nurse was to support the health and well being of communities. I have now learned that nursing is so much more than I ever imagined and I fell in love with nursing when I realized the policy and advocacy impacts that nurses have in supporting health equity and social justice.

Nurses make up the largest group of health care professionals in the world and nursing brings invaluable expertise, insight and knowledge grounded in close client relationships. As I grow and learn as a nurse I see how critical nursing’s role is in creating safer systems for patients. I currently pursuing my graduate studies in nursing at UBC and my area of scholarship is focused on the promotion of cultural safety within nursing and health care so that Indigenous people have access to quality care that supports health, well-being and self-determination.

As an Indigenous nurse, I hope to build more capacity for Indigenous nursing Knowledge and leadership within our current systems and build on the legacy of Indigenous nurses that have created tremendous change in the face of adversity. I have served on board of directors for local, provincial and national nursing associations to support these aims and am greatly inspired by the nursing community’s dedication to Indigenous people’s health rights and in leading systems change. I am deeply grateful to be a CNF scholar and to have the support to continue this important work. Wela’lin