Eleanor Jean Martin Award

My passion for nursing was slowly ignited by observing my father’s career throughout my childhood and adolescent life. In high school, I remember being scared that I would enter a career path and be unsatisfied, wasting my time and money in the process. These fears were mostly quelled after learning about the various roles my father had assumed in his time as a nurse: as assistant director of care at a nursing home, as part of the geriatric mental health outreach team, as clinical educator, as a rehabilitative nurse, and as a researcher. As the only male nurse in his Master’s program, I admired my father’s dedication to the profession and desire to influence change for individuals with dementia. It became clear to me that nursing was a fulfilling and diverse career path, and now thirty years later, I am following in my father’s footsteps as I pursue research of my own.

I also work in the hemodialysis unit which has reminded me of what I was initially drawn to in the field of nursing: truly getting to know others, being given the opportunity to make a difference in their lives, and empowering them to make decisions that will honour their goals and values. Nursing is a special career path and despite all the challenges within healthcare over the last two years, I am very thankful to have become a Registered Nurse.