More than 4,000 students have graduated from McMaster's nursing programs. Here we meet Patrick Chiu, RN, MPH; Lead, Policy Initiatives at the Association of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (ARNBC)
Published: June 8, 2016
McMaster Degree:
I graduated from the McMaster BScN Program in 2012.
Current Position:
I’m currently the Lead for Policy Initiatives at the Association of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (ARNBC). As the professional association representing registered nurse and nurse practitioners in B.C., ARNBC seeks to influence health, social and nursing policy, as well as advance the nursing profession. My role includes identifying system level issues within the nursing profession, as well as those that impact the health and well-being of the patients we care for. I work collaboratively with stakeholders to research, analyze and develop policy and advocacy products such as position statements, briefing documents, discussion papers and policies to tackle these issues, from a nursing perspective.
How I Got Here:
I began my nursing career working in the acute care setting as a float nurse at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. I gained experience working with diverse populations across the lifespan in several areas including emergency/critical care as well as medical and surgical units. To gain more experience, I also worked in an out-patient endoscopy centre, and sat on the College of Nurses of Ontario’s Discipline Committee. Through these experiences, I gained a greater sense of some of the systemic issues that impacted the health and health care delivery of my patients, as well as the nursing profession. In order to gain the knowledge and skills to tackle these complex issues, I pursued a Master’s degree in public health, with a focus in population health at Simon Fraser University. I started as an intern at ARNBC, moved into the role of policy analyst, and now currently work as the Lead for Policy Initiatives.
Why I Chose McMaster:
McMaster and their health sciences programs have a great reputation. Based on the research I had done when applying to undergraduate programs, it was apparent that the School of Nursing’s curriculum was innovative, with a balance of the sciences and the arts. The problem-based learning method, as well as the emphasis of small groups, was also a significant factor in choosing Mac’s nursing program.
How my experience at Mac has helped me:
My training at Mac has helped in a variety of ways. In terms of knowledge base, the curriculum provided me with a solid foundation of the nursing profession, and nurses’ roles at the individual, population and systems level. I was able to learn the various roles that RNs could further explore post-BScN completion in all domains of nursing practice including direct clinical care, policy, research, administration and education. The teaching and learning methods used at Mac helped me develop my critical thinking skills, become self-directed and develop leadership skills. Small group discussions and facilitations were key in developing these skills, which are essential when working within complex systems, intra-professionally and inter-professionally.
If you are a graduate of the School of Nursing, we'd love to hear from you and learn about your experiences. Please email spenceg@mcmaster.ca.