Joan Gilchrist Award

I always hoped for a career that balanced my draw to science, contributing to the community, and connecting with people; nursing has been the perfect fit. Nursing has allowed me the opportunity to improve children’s health in various settings on diverse clinical and academic teams. My career began in the NICU, where I’ve continued to work over the past decade. I’ve worked in pediatric nursing at Camp Cedar in Casco, ME, USA and the cardiac intensive care unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) in London, UK. I’ve had various research roles at the Alberta Children’s Hospital and UCL GOSH Institute for Child Health. 

My interest in nursing research began during an undergraduate studentship in pediatric knowledge translation (or “KT”, moving research evidence into clinical practice). I completed my MSc in Paediatrics and Child Health from University College London in 2017. My dissertation aimed to determine nurses’ use of pain management strategies in infant vaccination and barriers to evidence-based practice. I am entering the second year of my PhD in Nursing at the University of Alberta, during which I will solidify my thesis proposal; I aim to conduct a comprehensive mixed methods evaluation of KT tools that help parents learn about common childhood illnesses. 

I am grateful for the support of the Canadian Nurses Foundation and honoured to be the 2023-24 recipient of the Joan Gilchrist Award, which will support my work in improving child health through nursing research.