We are so grateful both on Nursing Week and every week for the amazing nurses that make up our team here at Canadian Mental Health Association, York Region and South Simcoe. One of these nurses is Frances, Vice President of Clinical Operations. Learn more about her journey as a nurse below.
Why did you decide to become a nurse?
Honestly, it was sort of a fluke. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to be when I grew up. As soon as I did my first clinical placement in nursing school, I realized I was meant to be a nurse.
What has been your journey in the nursing field so far?
Early in my career, I began to think about the system surrounding those of us at the bedside and how the decisions being made either facilitated the work we were doing or made it more difficult to care for people. I wanted to better understand those decisions and participate in designing and planning care delivery at a broader level. Nursing has provided me the opportunity to take on many different roles and challenges. Nurses evolve, always. I am a huge Florence Nightingale fan, and one of my favourite Florence quotes is, “let us never consider ourselves finished nurses…we must be learning all our lives.”
Why is Nursing Week important?
Because it’s Florence’s Birthday. More seriously, for me, it is important as a time for nurses to recognize and celebrate one another.
What’s something you wish people knew about nurses?
That nurses are connectors. We work best when we work with others.
