Benji Finestone receives Sopman Humanitarian Award for his compassionate approach to care

21 August 2024

In recognition of his compassionate and holistic approach to care, Benji Finestone a second year BScN student at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, has been awarded the 2024 Sopman Humanitarian Award by the University Health Network (UHN).

The award aims to encourage humanity, compassion, and understanding among nurses and doctors in training at UHN. Named in honour of the late Belle Sopman, the award was established by her husband Archie Sopman in recognition of the humanitarian care given to his wife by a student nurse.

“Receiving this award means a lot to me, the recognition of my holistic approach to care and complimentary therapeutic interventions for patients is something that I really value as part of my work,” says Finestone.

Finestone’s approach to care during his clinical placements earned him the nomination for this award from a range of individuals he credits with supporting him, including his clinical instructor at UHN and Bloomberg Nursing Assistant Professor Laura Fairley. Finestone has consistently found unique ways to help patients feel seen and comfortable during their time in hospital, including offering them the opportunity to listen to music.

“Much of the time, patients on the general medicine floor are there in bed all day, no TV, not a lot of visitors, and I felt that it was sad for them to just stare at the wall in silence. I started to use the one iPad on the unit to offer them the chance to listen to music for a bit. One of my patients really liked “The Eagles,” so I found a YouTube playlist for her, and it seemed to cheer her up a lot,” says Finestone.

Language barriers between patients and clinicians was another challenge that Finestone observed in his clinical placement and while addressing it was a extra bit of work, he felt it was an important component in ensuring a patient’s comfort.

“There is sometimes a hesitation to use translation services on units, but I taught one of my classmates how to use these translation services and we were able to bring that into our care practice more frequently to the benefit of our patients,” says Finestone. “I always think, what would I want if I were on the receiving end of this care, and being able to communicate is a high priority.”

Finestone had not originally set out to become a nurse following the completion of his first undergraduate degree.

He first taught English in China, and then decided to try a career in the hospitality sector, choosing to attend culinary school. It was during the COVID19 pandemic however, that Finestone found his way back into healthcare. He worked in long-term care and as a street outreach worker in Ottawa, seeing first-hand the many different areas of care that the nursing profession touches. The inspirational work of the nurses he encountered he says, set him on a path to a career in nursing.

“I feel like I’m in my element, when I’m able to connect with patients,” says Finestone.

Currently completing a placement at Sherbourne Health, a community health centre, Finestone enjoys his ability to use his skillset and approach to care, and further develop his interest in upstream concepts of health care.

“I really enjoy working collaboratively with a small team of nurses and doctors and being able to get to know patients quite well over time, it has enabled me to provide important resources and care when they are needed including mental health resources for our younger patients,” says Finestone.

As he looks to the future of his nursing career, Finestone is grateful for the support and mentorship he has received from Bloomberg Nursing teaching faculty and his fellow classmates, saying they have been instrumental in shaping his career goals.