Nova Scotia Nurses Award

My name is Maggie Oates-Johnson, I am from NS, and will be entering my second year of the BSc Nursing Program at Dalhousie University. I am also a professionally-trained ballet dancer and spent many years bringing to life stories on stage and creating emotion and happiness through movement. Having always been a compassionate and sensitive person, I wanted to do even more to help and make a positive impact in people’s lives. This initially led to being a mentor for peers with disabilities, working with dancers with disabilities, and working with seniors in long-term care through recreational therapy. Then I realized that nursing is a career in which I could blend passion, creativity, and strength, while using my compassion, empathy, and deep feelings to help people in need. I want to be a nurse so I can learn the skills to do this and to use my compassion and empathy to care for people to make a meaningful difference in their lives – providing healthcare, support, and comfort during their most vulnerable times, when ill, injured, aging, dying, or being born. I also want to be part of a team and system who brings people back to health in a safe, caring, and respectful manner, while listening to patients, being their voice, and advocating for them in a person-centered way. Nursing is deeply rewarding, and perhaps one of the few careers that can truly make an impact physically, emotionally, and socially, often all at once.