SCHOOL OF NURSING
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With my previous undergraduate degree being Exercise Science, I've always been passionate about health and the human body, and wanted to further my career in a path that would allow me to be of service to optimize the health of people around me. I chose nursing because the profession in itself would allow me to be of favour to a variety of different people, such as those that are fighting disease or illness as well as those in which I could help prevent disease.
Choosing McMaster Nursing has been the best decision I could make to enhance my nursing career and has helped shape me as a future nurse. I came to choose this program through my understanding of the prestige and extensive resources of McMaster nursing and by speaking to peers, who have graduated from the program with success and are now exceptional nurses, The program is filled with incredibly knowledgeable professors, clinical instructors, and resources that have helped me succeed in my becoming of a nurse. Those who choose McMaster nursing will benefit from this program in the same way that it has helped me – which was to create, shape, and mold a nurse to make a difference in the field as a skilled and compassionate professional in my nursing practice.
What I really like about McMaster’s BScN program is the learning that takes place in the CSBL lab. The CSBL lab since my first year to my last has helped me develop into a competent nurse through providing a great amount of knowledge, peer support, resources, and a place to hone my clinical skills. Nursing has a strong emphasis on evidence-based practice, where the best available evidence is used to make an informed decision for the patient’s care. I believe future-nursing students will be able to cultivate this practice through engaging in problem-based learning (PBL) in their final year at McMaster.
I chose McMaster nursing because of its reputation of producing quality nurses – competent with great critical thinking skills and capable of handling situations with a PBL approach. I can say with confidence that McMaster has lived up to their reputation. When coming into nursing, I was not the most confident or most mature individual; however, as I progressed through the years I notably become a more professional mature person. My journey taught me a lot about self-growth and the importance of leadership in not only for patients but also for fellow peers in helping them grow and improve.
Being part of a supportive yet rigorous academic environment. Having access to and learning from excellent faculty and established researchers with a wide variety of clinical expertise and research methods. Positive learning environment, excellent variety of courses to choose from and program structure (e.g. coursework, comprehensive exams, thesis work). The McMaster University School of Nursing PhD Program has an excellent reputation. Many of my professional colleagues had completed the PhD program and had positive experiences and have gone on to become excellent researchers. During the past four years, I have had the greatest privilege of being a PhD student (trainee) in the Aging Community and Health Research Unit (ACHRU) where I have learned from and worked with Dr. Maureen Markle-Reid and Dr. Jenny Ploeg and their research team. This learning experience has been an extremely positive and inspiring chapter of my career. I have gained knowledge and skills in the areas of research methods including developing, implementing and evaluating intervention studies for older adults living in the community.
The program offers a well-rounded curriculum that provides an adequate foundation of knowledge and an opportunity for clinical practice. My talented Nursing cohort have been a tremendous source of inspiration, motivation, and compassionate support. As a novice researcher, the support that I have received from individual faculty members has been invaluable to my academic and professional success. The required courses were facilitated either within the Nursing faculty or within the Faculty of Health Science, which allowed for the development of a supportive community within the program, as well as provided students with opportunities to collaborate within a multi-disciplinary environment. With the support of Drs. Markle-Reid and Pleog, the Aging, Community and Health Research Unit, and my thesis supervisory committee, I have had the opportunity to collaborate on research, attend and present at conferences, as well as network with professional colleagues within my field of interest.
I received my BA and my BScN from McMaster so when I decided to go back to school to pursue my doctoral studies in nursing, returning to my Alma Mater was the natural choice for me. The Nursing Graduate Program provides helpful resources and tools to assist students with their graduate work. For example, in the first year of the PhD program, the seminars include informative topics on applications for research funding, writing skills development, knowledge translation, and a guide to the comprehensive examination process. The program offers opportunities for students to showcase their research and to network with other graduate students and nursing faculty members through research plenaries, workshops, and lectureships. Additionally, the program is supported by a distinguished group of nursing graduate faculty members committed to shaping the professional development of graduate students as scholars and future researchers. My coursework enabled me to publish some of my scholarly papers in peer-reviewed journals, through the support and guidance of my supervisory committee and other academics with whom I have networked during the program. I will be defending my thesis in a few weeks’ time, and looking back on my journey, I am proud to have achieved this level of education. Furthermore, I am grateful for the supervision of the experts in my selected research topic of nursing education. My supervisory team are great role models that I will certainly emulate when I undertake the role of a graduate student supervisor or committee member in the future.
The expertise of the Nursing Faculty is exceptional, and greatly enhances the learning environment. What do you think are the strengths of the program? The nursing graduate program has friendly faculty with exceptional nursing and research expertise. A prestigious university with an unparalleled reputation, that ensures students are acknowledged for their achievements and promotes employment. After completing my BScN at McMaster University in 2006, I found my niche in neonatal nursing. I went on to complete my MScN and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner degrees to have greater knowledge to pursue educational and research opportunities. Realizing my passion for education and research, and the need for further expertise and skills, I began pursuing a PhD in Nursing at McMaster University in 2013.
The nursing graduate program has introduced me to researchers, clinicians, and students with diverse backgrounds, expertise and interests. I have built many invaluable professional and personal relationships with people who continue to inspire me every day. The program consists of faculty who have a genuine desire to want to help you succeed. Despite being a graduate student, you are treated with the same level of respect by all faculty members and your opinions are valued. Faculty go above and beyond to help support students in their studies, and are empathetic to our professional and personal lives. McMaster's School of Nursing has a reputation for research of high quality and integrity. In particular, I was excited to pursue my studies with Dr. Ploeg, who is a well-known leader in gerontological nursing research and who shares my passions in supporting persons with dementia and their caregivers. Throughout my studies, I worked closely with the Aging, Community and Health Research Unit, which has provided me with opportunities for presentations, publications, and collaborations with decision-makers, researchers, clinicians, and patient/caregiver groups. These experiences will help me as I move forward as a nurse researcher and advanced practice nurse.
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