Senator Norm Paterson Award

I came into the field of nursing quite by chance. As a second-year undergraduate student who was somewhat unsure of what I wanted to be when I grew up, I took a nursing course as an elective. I knew well before the end of the term that nursing was unequivocally what I wanted to do. In the Fall that year, I began my undergraduate nursing program and can easily say that deciding to become a nurse was one of the best decisions of my life.

I have been fortunate to find immense satisfaction and ongoing reward in my role as an oncology and palliative care nurse practitioner. To be able to be with patients and their loved ones during some of the most difficult moments of their lives is an honour and privilege that I do not take lightly.

In this, the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, as declared by the World Health Organization, I have witnessed nursing step up and take a leading role in caring for those affected (both directly and indirectly) by the COVID-19 pandemic. I have never been prouder nor more humbled to be a nurse and I remain ever committed to doing all that I can to help improve the lives and experiences of those in need.

I am incredibly grateful to the Canadian Nurses Foundation, its donors and supporters, and to all of my fellow nurses across Canada and throughout the world. Thank you, now and always, for all you do.