ROLE: Manager, Emergency
“Advocating for patients means better care for everyone. It’s how I bring my passion to work.”
As a Black healthcare professional, my journey has been shaped by personal experiences, family encounters with healthcare, and my faith. I’ve often heard stories of mistrust in the healthcare system from my father and others in my community. This is what inspired me to enter nursing – so I could help improve these issues.
After I graduated with my nursing degree in Ottawa, I worked there for three years in an Ottawa hospital emergency department before I returned home to Scarborough in 2016 and joined SHN. In 2019, I reached a pivotal moment in my career when I completed my master’s degree. My manager at the time was incredibly supportive and flexible, allowing me to continue working nearly full-time while I pursued my studies. Shortly after graduating, I was offered the position of Clinical Practice Leader at the Birchmount emergency department. It was a new and challenging role, requiring me to quickly learn and build rapport with the staff. Just over a year ago, I stepped into the interim manager and now permanent role, where I have continued to learn from other leaders in the organization.
Throughout my career, I have advocated for my patients, especially those who feel marginalized or vulnerable. It has been rewarding to work in emergency care, where I can help people recover and return home. Scarborough is a tapestry of diverse cultures; people from different walks of life, and different experiences. And working at SHN, I see that reflected in our staff, our patients, and our community. I think it’s a strength and an advantage, because we can learn from each other, we can relate to each other, and we can provide better care to our patients. I think it also creates a sense of pride and belonging, because we know that we are part of a world-class organization that values and respects our diversity and inclusion.
I think being authentic is about being true to yourself – and for me a part of that is my faith, which teaches me to be compassionate and caring, and to put myself in other people’s shoes. That’s something I value as a professional and as a person. It’s about being respectful and empathetic to others, including my team and my colleagues. I have an open-door policy, and I encourage my staff to come and talk to me about anything. Sometimes they just need someone to listen to them and support them, and I try to be that person.