Port Hope’s Anne Mead and Baltimore’s Ella Watson have received some TLC from Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH), in the form of scholarships towards their future careers in the nursing profession.
The students have each received a $1,500 bursary towards their post-secondary health care education through NHH’s 2024 Health Professions Scholarship program. NHH board chair Beth Selby spoke about the winners during a hospital board meeting earlier this month.
“Since its inception in 2003, the Health Professions Scholarship has garnered a positive response from the community,” Selby said in a statement. “As we have seen in years past, there were many worthy and accomplished candidates, who are undoubtedly destined to make a positive impact across the health care field.”
“Anne and Ella stood out for many reasons, but above all else, for their drive, determination, and commitment to have a positive impact in their future careers as nurses, and specifically, their aspirations to return to NHH,” Selby added.
Created in 2003, the purpose of the Health Professions Scholarship program is to provide financial assistance to community students studying to be health care professionals.
NHH president and CEO Susan Walsh earlier told kawarthaNOW the program is key for the hospital and carries even more weight this year, given the staffing challenges in the health care sector.
“The presentation of our annual Health Professions Scholarship has long been an important tradition at NHH,” Walsh said. “As the competition for health human resources has intensified, this scholarship program has taken on even greater significance. There are endless opportunities today for individuals interested in pursuing a career in health care.”
As a community hospital, NHH competes for talent with organizations not only in the region but right across the country — even globally, the CEO said.
“This scholarship program, while modest, aims to put (NHH) on the radar of local students pursuing future careers in health care,” Walsh noted.
The presentation of the recent awards to Mead and Watson continued a tradition started by the volunteer board in 2003 to support students from west Northumberland County who have chosen to pursue careers in the health care sector.
In addition to being enrolled or accepted for enrolment in a full-time study program, applicants are evaluated on a combination of criteria, including their academic achievements, extra-curricular activities, a testimonial about their career goals, and written references.
Mead is graduating this year from Trent University with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. While she has always intended to be a nurse, Mead’s future aspirations of working in an urban hospital changed after a positive placement experience at NHH, where she hopes to work in future, a media release noted.
“I have always had a deep desire to become a registered nurse, initially having the intent to work in an urban hospital throughout my career,” Mead stated in her application letter.
Between September and December 2023, she completed her pre-consolidation clinical placement at NHH on the restorative care unit.
“Experiencing the teamwork and close-knit feeling of a smaller hospital solidified my decision to apply to NHH within the next five years.”
Mead described how her newfound passion for community health care was further solidified after being partnered with a professor who shared similar interests.
Growing up in Port Hope, Mead has strong ties to the community through volunteerism, where she completed a total of 791 community service hours with St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church and at school and community events.
Watson is currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in nursing program at Trent University, and has just completed her first year of training.
“My goal is to complete the four-year bachelor’s degree in nursing and to one day pursue a career at (NHH),” Mead stated. “After gaining experience as a registered nurse, I hope to continue my education as a nurse practitioner.”
Mead has volunteered through NHH’s Hospital Elder Life Program, which she described as solidifying her decision to pursue a career in health care.
“I witnessed patients go through health struggles daily and this made me realize that I wanted to help. It was because of my urge to want to help that I continued with a volunteer position at NHH after my co-op placement was over. I have a strong passion for helping others and it was this experience that made me realize that by just giving a little bit extra, I can make a difference.”
For more information about the requirements for NHH’s Health Professions Scholarship program, visit nhh.ca/Careers/StudentScholarship.
According to NHH, applications are welcomed at any time, but typically close in February of each year with presentations at the June meeting of the board of directors.
