Jacelynn Su and Abeeha Shuja are two members of the inaugural BScN cohort set to begin the accelerated two-year program at U of T Mississauga where they will learn and complete clinical placements across Peel and the western GTA.
Abeeha Shuja realized she belonged in healthcare while working at a group home supporting children with autism spectrum disorder, developmental delays, dual diagnosis, and traumatic brain injuries.
At first, she had been scared, having never had that kind of responsibility before, but she quickly grew into the role. Shuja enjoyed spending time with the kids in the home, and always found herself thinking about how she could better support them and improve their care.
She also realized how few community resources were available to children with disabilities, which motivated her to stay on in the role even on days when it was challenging.
“That experience shaped me as a human being. It changed how I see the world and how I see the people who are on the front line of healthcare,” says Shuja. “It made me wonder how I can serve better and be a better person.”
Joining the new BScN cohort at U of T Mississauga
Shuja is an incoming first year nursing student in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program at Bloomberg Nursing, and part of the Faculty’s inaugural cohort located at U of T Mississauga. This program expansion, which starts this fall, creates a pathway to become a nurse for students from diverse communities in Peel and regions west of Toronto. By completing their placements at leading healthcare organizations in the western GTA, closer to where they call home, students are more likely to stay after graduation and practice nursing in the region.
This expansion is the second for Bloomberg Nursing, which has also launched an inaugural cohort of Nurse Practitioner students at U of T Scarborough as part of the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health (SAMIH). Both cohorts are focused on providing better access to care in these communities.
“The expansion of our academic programs is one of the ways in which Bloomberg Nursing is leading in the advancement of nursing education and responding to the evolving needs of health care across the western GTA. We are committed to supporting equitable and accessible health where it is most needed,” says Robyn Stremler, Dean of the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing.
For Shuja, she chose to be part of the BScN cohort at U of T Mississauga because she understands there is a genuine need for health care in this area. Having lived in the surrounding region she and her family have had first-hand experience with limited primary care access, and feeling like their problems were sometimes dismissed.
“I know how impactful it can be to have a healthcare professional see you as a person and not the problem you are presenting. As a nurse, I hope to be a part of a changing health system,” says Shuja.
Trillium Health Partners (THP) is one of the clinical placement partners providing hands-on learning experiences for students in this expanded cohort. Terri Irwin (MN2005) a Bloomberg Nursing alumna and Executive Vice President, Patient Care Services, and Chief Nursing Executive, at THP, says that this expansion is essential to shaping a healthier community.
“At Trillium Health Partners, students gain hands-on experience across the full continuum of care, learn from exceptional preceptors, and become part of a strong academic and interdisciplinary culture that prepares them to thrive as the next generation of nurses,” says Irwin.
Part of a community on campus
For Jacelynn Su, choosing to apply to the nursing program located at U of T Mississauga meant she could continue to be a part of the community she built during her first degree.
Su is already a U of T Mississauga graduate and residence don. Originally from Calgary, she says it took her a few years to settle in and find a sense of community on campus but once she did, it made life a lot easier.
“I’m excited to be a part of this new cohort because it means that I get to keep the community I’ve found in Mississauga while being a Bloomberg Nursing student. It means a lot to me,” says Su.
Both Su and Shuja are looking forward to learning more about the opportunities available to them as nurses and beginning their clinical placements in and around the community. While they are still exploring where nursing will take them, they are eager to learn and apply the knowledge they gain into real-life settings.
“I want to be working where I am the best nurse possible, wherever in the region that ends up being,” says Shuja.