Published: March 26, 2018
More than 4,000 students have graduated from McMaster's nursing programs. Here we meet Marie-Lee Yous, a charge nurse on a Long-Term Care unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton.
MCMASTER DEGREE
I graduated with a BScN in 2014. I began the MScN program in 2016 and I will be graduating this year.
In addition to being a MScN student on a full-time basis, I proudly hold two other positions. I am a charge nurse on a Long-Term Care unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton where I support older adults with complex needs and their family members. I am also a research trainee at the Aging, Community and Health Research Unit (ACHRU) and I am provided with many wonderful opportunities to observe and take part in research.
HOW I GOT HERE
I began my studies at McMaster because I knew that I wanted to support older adults. I find that the health care services for older adults is an important priority in Canada and worldwide and we are not yet there in terms of consistently providing them with high quality care and meeting their needs. I had wonderful gerontological placements through McMaster and learned so much from my tutors and staff nurses. I was mentored by great faculty members here at McMaster and without a doubt, I knew that I would have another enrichening learning experience by pursuing a Master’s degree. I am grateful for the research and gerontological expertise of my supervisor, Dr. Jenny Ploeg, and I feel privileged to work alongside of her at the (ACHRU). I could not have asked for a better mentor to support me in my academic journey.
WHY I CHOSE MCMASTER
There are so many reasons why I chose McMaster. My love for McMaster blossomed early on in life when I accompanied my mother to McMaster as a child. I heard so many great things about McMaster from my mother in terms of the kindness of her professors and the enrichening learning experience that she had gained. Becoming a student at McMaster made me realize that my mother was right. Professors that I met are kind and supportive mentors. I also chose McMaster because of the variety of courses that are offered. I enjoyed the diverse course electives that I was able to take. Coming from French Catholic elementary and secondary schools, I enjoyed taking French courses during my undergraduate studies. These courses provided me with some familiarity through my cultural heritage. Last but not least, McMaster has an excellent and renowned nursing program. Graduates from the School of Nursing are making great advances in nursing research and contribute so much in the clinical world. I honestly cannot think of a reason why I would not have chosen McMaster to pursue my studies and to this day I hope that I will continue to pursue lifelong learning at McMaster.
HOW MY EXPERIENCE AT MCMASTER HAS HELPED ME
My experience at McMaster has helped me develop skills and gain knowledge necessary to become a successful clinician and researcher. My undergraduate degree prepared me in facing the realities of nursing and ensured that I was ready to take on any practice situation. McMaster and the people that I met here, including colleagues and professors, have always supported my passion for gerontological nursing. Being surrounded by like-minded people at McMaster has allowed me to grow into a more thoughtful clinician and made me realize the need for translating research into practice.
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