by Heidi Riley
Erin O’Brien, from Charlottetown, is one of three winners of the annual Phyllis Pitre bursary for adult learners.
After working for 11 years in healthcare on PEI, she decided to go back to school, and is now enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at UPEI.
“Being a Registered Nurse has always been my dream, my calling, and something I want to accomplish in life, as helping others is something I love to do the most,” says Erin. “However, the decision to go back to school was not an easy one, as it puts immense pressure on my family, financially and supportively.”
Erin, who was born and raised in Tignish, is 32 years old and has two children. She graduated from Westisle Composite High School in 2010.
“After school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I just knew I wanted to help people in some way and make a difference in other people’s lives.”
She attended the Foundational program at Holland College, now called Pathways to College and Workplace Success, which gave her the opportunity to volunteer at several jobs to see what she might be interested in. When she did a placement at Tignish Seniors Home, a community care facility, she found her calling.
“I immediately fell in love with the caregiving role. The immense gratitude and rewarding feeling I got from caregiving solidified my decision to pursue a career in Nursing.”
She graduated from the Practical Nursing program in 2013 and immediately started her career in long-term care. “I enjoyed the company of the elderly, and knew I was making a difference in their lives, putting a smile on their faces with jokes or playing games, and giving them an opportunity to get out of bed and be cared for.”
Later in her career, she moved to acute care nursing at the QEH on the orthopaedic ward, and then worked in a completely different environment in a family doctor’s office.
“I believe that as a mature student, going back to school will give me an advantage towards my studies because I have already had 11 years of experience working in healthcare on PEI. I feel that at this point in my life, I have a great understanding of what my path is supposed to be. I have always had a strong passion to help others. This is what makes me happy, and is my driving force in life.
“As a family with young kids and two working parents and busy days of work, school, and extracurricular activities, I make it a priority to time manage to the best of my ability so that we still have the opportunity to have as much quality time together as we can.
“The greatest challenge I will have as a mature student with a family will be about the financial and supportive role I currently provide in our household. During my studies, I will not be able to work. This will turn our two-person income household into a one-person income household.
“We will have to make a lot of sacrifices to get through this time. Another challenge I will face will be that my studies will take time away from my children and my partner. I know in the end that this will be the best decision I could make with the situation I was in, and to support my family in the future.”
FOR MORE ABOUT
the Phyllis Pitre Bursary for Adult Learners, click here.
