Evie Kay
What education have you taken?
I graduated with my grade 12 at the Brandon Adult Learning Centre. I then attended the Assiniboine Community College where I took the Medical Terminology course. I finished my 1st year of sciences for the Bachelor of Nursing Degree at Brandon University until I transferred to the Psychiatric Nursing Program where I am currently in my 3rd year of full-time studies.
What accomplishments are you proud of?
In 2009, I received: the government of Canada millennium scholarship; the Canada Life Assurance Company Scholarship; and received a Student Bursary through the Parkland Regional Health Authority where I have also signed a return-of-service agreement.
I have volunteered my time with the Student Council Association at the Brandon Adult Learning Centre as I attended school there. For the last couple of years I have been volunteering my time at my daughter’s school and for her Ukrainian dancing.
Tell me about yourself.
I was born and raised in Brandon. I currently reside in Dauphin with my supportive husband and two beautiful, caring, and humorous children. Our youngest son is 2 years old, and our daughter is 7. Family is very important to me, so I enjoy spending time with my two younger sisters, both mine and my husband’s parents, and my niece at the family cottages. When I have spare time I enjoy swimming, scrapbooking, painting, reading, and playing games.
How did you become interested in your field of study?
I started off in the Dietary department at a local personal care home where I was approached by nursing management with an offer for training to become a Health Care Aid. I remember taking the offer under the stipulation that if I didn’t like the work, I could have my old job back. I never did take my old job back and have gained experience working in personal care homes, and in hospital units such as: medicine, surgery, extended therapy unit, palliative care, maternity/obstetrics, ICU, Emergency, and psychiatry. In addition, I have worked as a ward clerk on the medicine, surgery, and emergency units. My favourite job was working on the Alzheimer’s Unit in one of the personal care homes. It was a very hard decision for me to choose which area of nursing I was more interested in; a few years later I switched from my degree in nursing to psychiatric nursing.
What is your philosophy in life?
My family would agree that I always say “do onto others as you would want done onto you”, and “ two wrongs don’t make a right” so I would have to admit those quotes play into my daily life. My parents’ telling me “what you put into something is what you will get out of it” really influences the effort I put into my work, school, and family. During my last few years of University I have come to realize that in order to be able to grow in life and become a better person it is important to self-reflect and accept feedback to learn from the wonderful mentors around you. For me, it has always been important to find a balance between family and a career (which I have been working towards); I am a person that needs both to be happy in life.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
For career goals, once I graduate I would like to work in acute psychiatry. However, lately I have been pondering whether a future in community health is something for me. If I had my choice, I would love to take more training immediately after I graduate to become a Psychiatric Emergency Care Nurse. To me, that would be the best of both worlds. In the next 6 years I also have dreams to continue school and possibly achieve my Masters degree; I will just have to see where life takes me and my family.
My family plan for the future is to work hard enough to take my whole family to Disney World because that is what my children always talk about so I would like to do that for them.
Nominator’s commendation:
“Evie is a third year psychiatric nursing student. She is both academically and clinical exceptional. Evie comes to Brandon University from Dauphin MB where she resides with her supportive husband and two children. Evie is an example of: ‘It takes a family to support a student’ as she attempts to juggle work at Dauphin Hospital, family life and studies. Evie is a woman of the future.”