Manitoba’s newest nurses, nurse researchers graduate
Over 100 new nurses were welcomed to the profession on Thursday, October 17, as the College of Nursing at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences held its fall convocation and pinning ceremony at Fort Garry campus.
The pinning ceremony is organized by the U of M Nursing Students’ Association and the College of Nursing. There the 114 new graduates recited the U of M Bachelor of Nursing Pledge, which was inspired by the 1893 Florence Nightingale Pledge and has been adapted by the university.
“I am confident about our future with the Class of 2019 as our new nurses and nurse leaders,” said Dr. Netha Dyck, Dean, College of Nursing. “I look forward to their leadership and significant contributions to our profession of nursing and our health care, and I am excited to celebrate their successes at our Convocation and Pinning Ceremony.”
The convocation also saw 14 students graduate from the College of Nursing’s master’s program.
Here’s a look at some of the 2019 graduates:
Charity Price, 24, balanced her time in the bachelor of nursing program with playing on the University of Manitoba Bison Women’s hockey team, winning a national championship in March 2018 – at the same time as her midterms. She said that playing university hockey while taking such an intense was challenging, but that it ultimately helped her with time management skills. After graduation, Price will return home to Slave Lake, Alta. to work at a local health care centre. She hopes to one day experience working in a northern community. Price continues to play senior women’s hockey, as the sport has been part of her life since the age of six. She said her interest in nursing has also been a constant in her life.
“Nursing has been a part of my family for a while now and since my auntie was sick and passed from cancer, my determination and passion for nursing has only grown stronger,” she said. “I want to make a difference in patients and families’ lives and be able to provide them with the care they all deserve.”
Darrell Derksen, 47, is graduating with a master’s degree in nursing through the nurse practitioner program, his third degree from the U of M. The program recently approved funding for him to present a paper he wrote on diabetic foot ulcers to an international nurse practitioner conference in Halifax next year. Derksen, who currently works as a graduate nurse practitioner at Grace Hospital’s emergency ward, said completing the degree was a challenge, as his two children were aged three and one when he started the program.
“I believe that being a positive role model for my children is vital to allow them to develop to their full potential. They both look forward to attending school and at home they regularly pretend to work as a doctor, nurse practitioner and nurse to help fix people or animals,” he said.
Marina Pereira, 31, also has two children and is graduating with a master’s degree as a nurse practitioner. She received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the U of M in 2012. She currently works as a registered nurse for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority in community health services, and plans to eventually
pursue further education in lactation medicine. She acknowledged the support of her family and classmates for her success in the program. “You don’t get this far without your village,” she said.
Chloe Shindruk, 30, is a clinical nurse specialist at St. Boniface hospital and has worked in research for the last seven years. She graduates with her master’s degree after recently returning from an international research congress in Melbourne, Australia, where she was part of a “Rising Stars in Research” program. In November she will present the findings of her thesis on perinatal palliative care at the Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses conference in Vancouver.
“As a nurse, I could learn to understand how policy decisions at national, provincial and organizational levels effect communities and families and learn to advocate for change to diminish social inequity. There are not many professions that an individual can rise to such a variety of challenges,” she said.
