Date: 2007
Location: Edmonton
Profile: At the time of this interview, Jennifer Cory was in her first year of nursing practice after completing her nursing education. She was spending that year as an RN in Cold Lake, a small-town setting that required a variety of nursing competences. Cory recognized that the training and support that she was receiving was far greater than what other new nursing graduates were receiving. Cory credited her own mother, who was a nurse with 40 years of experience, and the mentorship from her highly experienced colleagues, as key factors in allowing her to successfully manage stress and avoid early burnout in the profession. Cory considered herself lucky to have completed part of her nursing education in Finland with its advanced and universally accessible public healthcare system. She praised the support that the United Nurses of Alberta provides in defending our healthcare, and commented that an accessible public healthcare system constitutes an important asset for any community. Cory believes that new nurses have the support of UNA to take leadership positions if they are so willing, making use of Professional Responsibility Committees to call for policy changes without fearing retaliation from management.
Keywords: Nursing burnout; Nursing graduates; Nursing leadership; Nursing mentorship; Professional Responsibility Committee; Public healthcare; Rural and small-town nursing.
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See also: United Nurses of Alberta; Women and Work in Alberta