New Brunswick Nurses Association – CNA Centennial Award

During the past four decades I’ve strived to demonstrate a high level of professionalism and engagement in my nursing practice. As the oldest child in a family living on a small farm in Northern New Brunswick I was always very curious and had a passion for learning. I understood early on the importance of hard work, responsibility, leadership and the value of being a member of a large extended family and community. It’s no surprise as I reflect upon my career that I have been very much a pioneer and advocate, drawn towards the care of vulnerable populations. My nursing career has provided me with the privilege to develop many ‘firsts’ from clinical trial and research initiatives to foundational community-based programming and models of care.

Today, working with highly complex and at-risk populations requires all my expertise from maternal health, chronic conditions and communicable diseases to systems navigation and community resources. The care of marginalized populations requires a depth of nursing knowledge that comes from experience and I am absolutely committed to improving the lives of our most vulnerable citizens. I now find myself in a position to impart this knowledge to the next generation of nurses through my role as a nurse educator and in the completion of my graduate research thesis at the University of New Brunswick. I will be forever grateful to the many, many individuals and families living with mental health and substance use challenges who have so graciously included me in their lives.