Tylenol Canada Bursary Program Award

My name is Edouard, I’m an intensive care nurse and currently persuing a Master’s in Nursing degree at Université Laval in Québec.

I’ve always wanted to do something that would make a difference and help people. Healthcare seemed like the natural path for me, but I wasn’t sure which direction to take until I learned about nursing’s humanistic approach.

What drew me to nursing wasn’t just the medical aspect—it was the way nurses viewed patients as whole people, not just conditions to treat. This perspective felt right to me. I wanted to be part of a profession that recognized the person behind the illness.

When I started my nursing degree, my understanding of what nursing actually meant began to shift. I had thought it would be about providing care to sick people, which it is, but I discovered it was much more than that. I realized that nursing is really about the privilege of building relationships with people when they’re at their most vulnerable. It’s about being trusted to care for someone during some of their most difficult moments.

This became clearer with each clinical experience. Behind every patient was someone’s parent, child, or partner—someone with their own story, fears, and hopes. I found myself drawn to these human connections, to the quiet moments of understanding that can happen between a nurse and patient.

It’s this relational aspect of nursing that continues to guide my work today, especially in critical care where these connections often matter most.