CNSA Mental Health Award

My name is Serena Lai and I am second-year undergraduate nursing student at the University of Toronto. Previously, I completed my BMSc at Western University where I was involved in many leadership positions that aimed to educate, promote, and improve student wellbeing. This involvement has carried over to the University of Toronto, where I am the Nursing Undergraduate Society’s Senior Wellness Coordinator. In this role, I liaise between students and faculty to support the physical, emotional, and mental health of nursing students. I also plan and facilitate programs to promote conversations around health and wellness among students. My passion for pursuing a career as a nurse began when I started working at an Adult Day Program for older adults with cognitive impairments. At the program, I had the privilege to have conversations with clients and their families where I learned about their anxieties with aging and the impacts of the healthcare provider shortage the province was facing. This motivated me to become a Registered Nurse with a focus on geriatrics and mental health care where I can work alongside other healthcare professionals and clients to provide and advocate for accessible, equitable, safe, compassionate, and competent care, while building strong therapeutic nurse-client relationships and facilitating healthy aging among my clients.