When there is a crisis in the world, Sophie Polan (BScN 23) describes herself as someone who runs towards it, not away from it. That inspirational mentality is what drove her to apply to the nursing program at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the height of the COVID19 pandemic, and it is what has prompted her now as a new alumna, to become a first-time donor and give back to nursing education.
Polan has donated to the Educating Nursing’s Future Fund, a recently established fund that encourages nurses to give back to the profession and help ensure barrier-free access to nursing education for future students. You too can support future nurses with just a small gift.
“We need more nurses. Anything I can do to help the profession and help people find their way into this career path is worth it. I have had such a valuable experience at Bloomberg Nursing, and I want others to have that experience too,” says Polan of her reason for giving back.
There are a variety of financial barriers that can pose a challenge for nursing students and inhibit them from completing their education or pursuing it in the first place. Yet for Polan, she believes that financial constraints shouldn’t stop anyone from receiving the education they deserve.
“Nursing is a tough enough profession on its own,” adds Polan, “we don’t need more barriers that make it harder to become a nurse, especially financial ones.”
Passionate about giving back
Polan has been passionate about giving back to the nursing community throughout her time as a student. She chose to participate in the BScN student-led mentorship program, mentoring incoming students and helping them navigate the fast pace of the accelerated two-year BScN program. The exposure to various clinical placements and the mentorship she received from instructors and other nurses during her time as a student at Bloomberg Nursing, also helped Polan decide what kind of nurse she wanted to become, and which values she wanted to embody as part of her professional practice.
“The program is challenging, but I also feel strongly that it gave me the edge I needed to prepare me to become a nurse ready to care for patients,” says Polan. “It also cemented for me the desire to continue to stay connected to the Faculty whether that is through future mentorship opportunities or as a donor.”
Polan has continued to witness a culture a selfless giving within the nursing profession. Not only are nurses giving of themselves to care for patients, but they are also giving of their time to support new nurses like Polan, transition into the profession.
Small actions go a long way
“I would really encourage new alumni like myself, to give back in any way that they can, a little bit can go a long way in fostering an inclusive environment at Bloomberg Nursing for everyone to have access to a nursing education,” says Polan.
Nurses already make an impact on the every day lives of their patients. For Polan, she feels strongly that nurses coming together even in small ways, can also make an impact on the every day lives of those who want to enter the profession, shaping the future of health care one small gift at a time.