Artefacts
ARTEFACT 1: My Undergraduate Thesis
I was fortunate to have been accepted into the lab of Dr. Edmond Chan as part of my 4th year undergraduate thesis. We were investigating the mitochondrial fusion protein OPA1 and how it plays a role in the metabolism of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. We wanted to know if it could be removed in these cells – that are otherwise resistant to other chemotherapeutic drugs – and we could artificially induce apoptosis. I learned so much throughout my studies. I also learned much about myself. This endeavour showed me how passionate I am about health and disease, and how therapeutics play a key role. I loved the research, but I wanted something more, I wanted to be interacting with patients themselves and play an active role, a key moment driving me towards seeking out nursing school. I hope to use this foundational knowledge of research I learned in my future nursing career.
ARTEFACT 2: Camp Primary First-Aid Role
Through my experience as a tree-planter I participated in many first-aid evacuation situations from remote locations in BC and AB. My supervisor suggested I take the occupational first-aid course level 3 (OFA3) to become the crew and camp primary first-aid attendant. This course involved patient packaging, assessment of vital signs, transport decision, emergent medical and trauma identification and response, and pre-hospital documentation. This course is very applicable to pre-hospital care of workers in remote regions. I loved the course and learned so much. The position also allowed me to lead emergency response situations of trauma such as having an ATV flipped over or evacuation of a person in anaphylactic shock needing helicopter evacuation to the hospital. This training and these events ignited a passion in me. I knew immediately I wanted to work in remote locations in Canada, doing emergency evacuations and pre-hospital care as a nurse. This helped me understand my passion for working on the air ambulance and deepen my knowledge of patient evacuation and pre-hospital care.
ARTEFACT 3: Student Helicopter Pilot
As soon as I understood my passion for working on the air-ambulance I knew I needed to get a head start. The more I understood about helicopters, the better. I decided to pursue a commercial helicopter pilot’s licence to understand the machinery and flight mechanisms involved with flying. I gained some amazing experience and understanding of flight dynamics. I hope to apply this knowledge to patient comfort during transport. My next step is to take Ornge’s aeromedical course, to understand the specifics of patient care in the air. This experience illustrates my dedication to continual learning, something I am excited to continue to do as a future nurse! I hope to bring this into my knowledge as a future self-regulating nurse.
ARTEFACT 4: Aegis Healthcare Solutions
In the past year, I gained some working experience in the pre-hospital setting on an ambulance. My job was to t