Our Nurses Our Future

Dear Friend of RNFBC,

As we approach National Nursing Week 2023, the theme Our Nurses Our Future, could not be more appropriate. This embodies our approach as we strive to financially support students enrolled in diploma, undergraduate and post-graduate education. The generosity of our donors has meant that we have been able to award hundreds of bursaries annually. Like many organizations our investment income is down this past year and we are challenged to sustain the same number of bursaries as in the past; ironically this is at a time when the nursing shortage means more financial support is needed than ever before.

Priorities set for two years

While there are many nursing priorities that arise in today’s challenged health care system, after much discussion, the RNFBC Board has identified two key areas for fundraising in 2023 and 2024:

1.    Support education to advance nursing practice in complex senior’s care; and

2.    Support Indigenous nurses in pre-licensure and post-graduate education.

We are calling on our donors, past award recipients, friends and family of recipients – our entire community to donate to the 2023 RNFBC Bursary Boost to help us continue this vital support to nursing. Together let’s make Our Nurses Our Future our reality.

Kind regards,

Pat Semeniuk, President RNFBC

As a single mom going back to school, I appreciated the support! I was extra touched when I researched the origins of the Mable and Henry Doree Family Memorial Bursary. I love that Joan, who established the bursary in 2012 in honor of her parents, was able to go to nursing school during the depression when her dad cashed in a portion of his life insurance policy to fund her education. It sounded like it was a good investment as she went on to have a long and influential career as a nurse. Such generous gifts can really make a difference in people's lives.  

Katherine Oldfield, nursing student, Selkirk College

I never knew that I wanted to become a nurse until I found this program that focuses on mental health through psychiatric nursing. I firmly believe in providing culturally safe care and I feel privileged that I am able to be a part of this profession. My goal is to work with individuals struggling with addiction through holistic means such as psychotherapy, non-traditional medical modalities and counselling. Receiving this bursary helps me recognize the devotion and admiration that I have for this field that I am soon to enter.

Amanda Mollard, registered psychiatric nursing student, recipient of Mary Sutherland Bursary

My heart is so much filled with joy and gratitude for having been chosen as one of the recipients of the Elgin & Vivian Lockridge Bursary. Thank you so much for your generous support to my graduate studies. Currently, I work as the Clinical Nurse Educator in an Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Unit. In my graduate studies, my research focus is on Gerontology that aims at examining the trends and meeting the health needs of the aging population. Through a critical gerontology lens, I am interested in contributing to aging research, policy, and practice at systems, organizational, and unit levels.

Neil Villamor, Nursing PhD candidate, UBC