I have been a nurse for 13 years now. The driving factor that drew me to nursing was the stability that this career provides. Through working as a nurse, I can connect with patients and help them on their journey to health; this is why I initially fell in love with the work. I have been lucky enough to spend 10 of my 13 years as a nurse with Carefor.

I joined Carefor in 2013 when I first moved to Ottawa. Up until that point, I had only worked as a nurse in hospitals. However, after hearing about Carefor and their outstanding reputation of high patient care, and flexibility in scheduling, I decided to make the switch from working in hospitals, to a full-time home-care nursing position with Carefor.

During my early days at Carefor, I worked as a visiting nurse, and soon began training to be a Wound Champion. Working in wound care has been extremely rewarding as it allows me to challenge myself through caring for complex wounds and in turn, improve my patients’ quality of life. After a few years of working in wound care, I decided to specialize in the area. Carefor offered abundant support as I worked towards obtaining the certifications needed for this specialty, as well as a Masters degree in Wound Healing. I would not have had the opportunity to pursue this education while working if it were not for the continual support from the nursing team at Carefor.

Beyond the encouragement that Carefor has offered me in enriching my credentials, they have also given me the chance to grow professionally, and move up in the organization. First being promoted to a nursing supervisor and then again as the Professional Practice Lead (PPL) in the Visiting Nursing Program. I was the first PPL in the nursing department at Carefor. The position was created to enhance and promote nursing career development and progression within the organization. The goal of having a PPL in nursing is to create and implement evidence-based and professional nursing practices to support the provision of quality care through development, coordination, and implementation of education/training for the staff.

Through this role I hope to use my passion for lifelong learning and my commitment to providing the best patient care to support fellow nurses through education and mentorship. I am also hopeful that my team members will recognize me as approachable and willing to help, and that in turn, can inspire them to do the same. Going forward, I hope to use what I have learned so far to continue to improve the state of Carefor’s Visiting Nursing Program.

My time at Carefor has allowed me to reach many of my career goals. I have been able to dedicate time to supporting the patients who need me, as well as transition into leadership roles within the nursing department. When it comes to professional growth, Carefor is certainly supportive, and I feel extremely fortunate and grateful to be a part of this organization.