John Vanderlee Award

I would first like to thank the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the donors for the John Vanderlee Award.  This incredible scholarship opportunity will ease the financial burden of schooling and make completing my BScN possible.

I was first exposed to the art and science of nursing while in secondary school as my mother completed her studies to become a nurse.  Listening to her stories about the positive impact nurses have on patients and the honour it is to care for the community in a nursing role inspired me to follow in her footsteps.

I am now halfway through my nursing program and have had the opportunity to observe and participate in that same care process.  At the same time, I joined the Canadian Forces as a medical assistant and have had the opportunity to witness nursing in a different environment and capacity.  From this, I have come to realize that regardless of the environment or circumstances that patients find themselves in, the need for compassionate and holistic nursing care is omnipresent.

When I consider the numerous and diverse career options available to nurses, I find myself drawn towards emergency and critical care nursing.  This feels like a good fit for me because I enjoy the unique challenges that come with balancing time-sensitive critical interventions and unrushed compassion.  Nevertheless, wherever I find myself working in the future, my nursing goal is to provide patient-, family-, and community-centered care.