Johnson and Johnson Award

It is an honour to receive this award.

My path to nursing has not been linear. I graduated from an interdisciplinary undergrad (McMaster University, 2013) with career uncertainty, interested in education and healthcare.

Following graduation, I worked for a year as an outdoor educator, leading backcountry canoe trips and teaching skiing. In these roles, I managed multiple responsibilities, provided wilderness first-aid, and made quick decisions in unpredictable situations. I thrived on the problem-solving, teamwork and the reward of encouraging others and providing one-on-one care. It was then that I first considered nursing.

I went on to complete a master’s in education (University of Ottawa, 2016) and began to work in research with the simulation program at St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto). I often worked directly on the units and gained exposure to numerous roles in the clinical team. I was inspired by the nurses that I worked with and was drawn to the centrality of their role in the health system.

Nursing combines everything I want in a career: hands-on care, teamwork, therapeutic relationships, leadership, advocacy, scholarship and teaching. Now in my final year of the accelerated program at U of T,  I could not be happier with my decision to pursue nursing. I look forward to an exciting career ahead.