Nurses are at your bedside during some of life's most difficult moments, providing care, compassion and support.
And from May 11 to May 17, we celebrate National Nursing Week alongside those working in health care, as well as those who are soon to join them: students and graduates from St. Clair College.
"I got into nursing because I genuinely care about helping people during the most vulnerable moments of their lives," said Hadiseh Ghadimi, a Practical Nursing student at St. Clair College.
Ghadami says she's always been drawn to medicine, science and patient care, and getting into practical nursing at St. Clair College gave her a way to combine knowledge, compassion, and critical thinking as an avenue to improve someone's quality of life.
"Over time, nursing became more than a career path for me — it became part of my identity and my long-term goal toward advanced healthcare and medicine," Ghadimi said.
National Nursing Week celebrates the vital contributions of nurses across Canada.
The theme of this year's celebrations is The Power of Nurses to Transform Health.
"In 1971, The International Council of Nurses (ICN) designated May 12, the birthday of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, as International Nurses Day," reads an excerpt on the Canadian Nursing Association website. "In 1985, CNA members passed a resolution to begin negotiations with the federal government to have the week containing May 12 proclaimed as National Nurses Week annually. Soon after, the federal minister of health proclaimed the second week of May as National Nurses Week. In 1993, the name was changed to National Nursing Week to emphasize the profession's accomplishments as a discipline."
While the celebration lasts a week, nurses' work spans 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. St. Clair College nursing students learn the rigours of the profession, but they also try to make an impact on the community over and above their studies to get a taste of their careers to come.
The Practical Nursing Society has volunteered within the community at the Downtown Mission of Windsor, hosted a Community Health Fair, and helped at the annual Salvation Army Christmas Dinner. They operate events such as 'Adopt a Student,' they host a winter clothing drive and hold an annual pinning ceremony.
Practical Nursing students also passionately support Human Trafficking Awareness initiatives by hosting a movie night, partaking in the Operation Underground Railroad partnership and selling items to raise awareness and funds to support anti-human trafficking causes.
Through these causes and initiatives, they have collectively raised thousands of dollars to support community organizations.
"A college education in practical nursing is extremely valuable because it provides both theoretical knowledge and hands-on clinical experience," said Ghadimi. "It prepares students to think critically, communicate professionally, and safely care for patients in real health care settings. Nursing school is intense, but it builds the foundation needed to enter the workforce with competence and confidence."
Why did you get into nursing?
We asked students and faculty why they chose nursing as a career pathway, and here's what they said:
"The reason I chose nursing is I felt in my heart that I wanted to help people - in particular elderly people, who are often times forgotten, alone, and in need of care," said Tazdia Kemeny, a professor in the Practical Nursing program. "My passion ignited once in nursing school, having a clinical placement on the palliative care unit. It was there that I knew it was the type of nursing I wanted to do."
"Journeying with people and their families during their most difficult time in life and being present, holding their hand, giving them dignity and compassion, and providing them comfort has been the most rewarding experience," Kemeny added.
"I got into nursing because I wanted to be the change that listens and gives patients their dignity back," said Practical Nursing student Aaliyah Marcus. "I always thought that if I could make a difference, it would be with people's care, especially people of colour. There may be a generation of nurses in my family, but I chose to follow my great-grandmother's footsteps, which brings her closer to my heart."
"Nursing means that I have a chance to change the way patients – especially of colour – experience their care. I get to be the person that makes people smile and see them improve," Marcus added. "It means I get to be closer to my great-grandmother, who passed when I was five, who was a practical nurse in her country, and I get to become that role model for young girls who think that just because they started off young and clueless that they can become whatever they put their minds to."
"Nursing speaks to me so deeply, not because I think I can save people, but because I want to care for them in the moments where they feel most vulnerable, overwhelmed, or alone," said first-year Practical Nursing student, Jaris Mulligan. "I want to be someone who can offer calm in chaos, dignity in suffering, and genuine human connection when it matters most."
