When Langara College nursing alum Sophie Mack was growing up in Bella Coola, she noticed something about the medical care her remote community received.
Two nursing students work with a mannequin in the Langara College nursing simulation lab.
Photo credit: Langara College
"I grew up here in this small little town on reserve. And I saw the inconsistencies in our healthcare system. You know, we never had consistent doctors or consistent nurses. They were all traveling medical professionals," she says. "I wanted a career in healthcare that would allow me to come back and provide that consistency and stability in services for our community."
Since graduating in 2009, Mack has worked as a public health nurse in Bella Coola, spearheading communicable disease control programs, assisting with immunizations, and providing healthcare education. The bursaries and support she received as a student now, in turn, support an entire community.
That's why the Langara College Foundation and Faculty of Nursing are kicking off a fundraising campaign to coincide with National Nursing Week, May 6-12. The campaign, Empowering tomorrow's nurses., will run throughout May and will raise financial support for nursing students and upgrade equipment in the nursing simulation lab.
"The process of learning to be a nurse is intense, challenging, and time consuming. Many students, who will become wonderful nurses, do not have the time and energy to work during school," says Dr. Wanda Pierson, division chair in the Faculty of Nursing. "Bursaries can have a profound and influential effect for a student providing them with financial support when it is most needed."
The College will double the impact of the fundraiser by matching donations up to $50,000. These funds will help nursing students complete their degree and be job-ready upon graduation.
Throughout May, Langara College nurses and alum will be highlighted on Langara social media, including local, international, and Indigenous alumni.
