Published: Jan 4, 2021
MCMASTER DEGREE: BScN 2019
CURRENT POSITION:
I have been working in the emergency department at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton since March 2019. I did a spring/summer term in my last year and finished in December 2018. I work as a staff nurse and I’m also the clinical care coordinator of the admission avoidance team on the weekend. We are the busiest emergency department in the city. We see clients of all ages with acute medical concerns and minor illness. The admission avoidance team consists of an RN, a social worker, occupational therapist and physiotherapist. We assess patients to see if we can assist them to get back home with community care. If the patient is not suitable for discharge, we let the emergency physician know and they refer the patient to an admitting service. In January 2021, I’ll be an instructor in the McMaster collaborative BScN program. I’m excited to start teaching!
THE PANDEMIC’S INFLUENCE:
I never would have imagined that my second year of nursing practice would have me working through a global pandemic. It has put an additional strain upon nurses and the profession as a whole. It’s stressful walking into work and there’s also the concern about bringing the virus home to our family. But I think with the support of our coworkers and our loved ones, we’ll get through this, even though things are really tough right now.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MY WORK:
It’s fast paced and changes daily. Each day brings on a new challenge. Some days I’ll care for ambulatory patients, some days admitted patients, other days in acute care where our resuscitation rooms are. There’s a lot of variety. I like the direct collaboration with our healthcare team. We work together to support our patients. The collaboration is really highlighted in my role on the admission avoidance team. It’s nice to wear different nursing hats. I’m looking forward to teaching.
HOW MY EXPERIENCE AT MCMASTER HELPED ME:
McMaster provided me with a well-rounded experience and exposure to many areas of nursing. The McMaster program prepared me with the knowledge, skills and ability to provide compassionate and exceptional nursing care in whichever area of nursing I choose to work in. I chose emergency medicine. My experience with the faculty led me to pursue the career I’m in and higher education. I am enrolled in the masters of nursing program at Ryerson University.