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Why did you decide to enter the nursing profession?

I've always had an interest in health care as far back as I remember. The ability to connect with and help people was appealing as well as the ability to use science. I knew I wanted to be challenged to think and come up with solutions to critical issues. I also knew that I wanted to be in a profession that is ever-changing. Nursing was the perfect fit.

How did you get to where you are today?

Currently I'm a faculty member at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops. My career in nursing has taken me on many adventures and I've been fortunate to have many great opportunities in my travels. My current position brings together two things that I love, teaching and nursing. It's exciting to work with students, to see their energy and enthusiasm as the next generation of nurses and to be challenged by their growth and questioning as they emerge in their development.

When I first graduated from nursing in the late 90's there were limited nursing jobs. I moved to Vancouver and worked several casual positions to make ends meat. I also worked in England in a public hospital on a medical unit. After six months in England, I was ready to come home and arrived back in Canada with an increased appreciation for the professional standards of practice that we have and the education we receive. I also arrived back home with a committed passion to public health and started my career in Public Health Nursing (PHN) in Prince George.

I was so fortunate to receive incredible support and mentorship from experienced PHN's. I stayed for five years, working on different teams, as a coordinator for an injury prevention program and a team leader before moving to the Interior. I continued my work in PHN working as a rural PHN, and also as a program manager for family health. In addition, I began working as a sessional instructor at TRU, casual PHN and part-time in a First Nations community. Opportunities come when you least expect it and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) of Health Canada as a program consultant with community health nurses working in first nations communities around the province.

Variety is the spice of life!

What has been the most rewarding thing in your nursing career?

By far the relationships are the most rewarding. Colleagues, clients, communities I've worked in, professional relationships and my connections with students have all made a huge impact on me. I love talking with like-minded people who share the same passion for the profession and the issues impacting the profession.

What has been the most challenging?

I think in nursing it can be difficult to value our diversity of roles. I've heard people say that as an educator I'm not a 'real' nurse, or when I worked in community health that all I did was give needles. What a limiting and damaging way to look at our profession. We need to learn to better value the diversity that is nursing and stop the negative talk that positions us against each other.

What advice would you give to new nurses?

Enjoy your career, jump into it wholeheartedly and challenge yourself. Someone told me once never to be afraid to put my hand up. This was an excellent piece of advice I've taken forward that I would pass on to new nurses. You will never know what's possible or where you can go if you don't put yourself out there. So, don't be afraid!

Nursing is...

A wonderful and rewarding career! What's so great about nursing is that it can be whatever you want it to be. If you want to stay in an area and develop a deep knowledge and speciality you can, or if you want to take up different roles and opportunities and have develop a breadth of experience you can. Nursing is so diverse.