Throughout much of her time as a student at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, Lina Rinaldi, the current Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Quinte Health, benefitted from having inspirational mentors. Two former deans of Bloomberg Nursing, Professor’s Emerita Dot Pringle and Gail Donner, were instrumental she says, in helping her realize her passion and propensity for leadership, guiding her towards a Master of Nursing degree in the Health Systems Leadership and Administration field.
That experience of having a good mentor and learning what it means to be a nursing leader, influenced Rinaldi’s decision to volunteer as a mentor with Bloomberg Nursing’s Alumni-Graduate Student Mentorship Program.
“I saw Gail and Dot as nursing role models. I admired their leadership style, and I was inspired by their energy,” says Rinaldi. “They saw the bigger picture and helped me develop a strategic overview of the health care system. It made me want to help others see their potential too.”
In addition to serving as a mentor with Bloomberg Nursing, Rinaldi has also participated in the Faculty’s Golden Notes program, offering tidbits of advice to incoming first year nursing students. She is currently an experienced leader with the Vernissage mentorship program at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and also supports emerging health leaders in public health and clinical informatics.
Mentorship essential to the nursing workforce
Choosing to give of her time in this way is something Rinaldi says she not only enjoys but sees as essential to building capacity within the nursing workforce. In her professional role at Quinte Health, Rinaldi has worked to create a community that is built on a culture of compassion and respect, and one that fosters strength through collaboration. Even in her day-to-day work, she finds herself providing coaching and mentorship support because she believes it helps nurses see the possibilities available to them.
“It is honestly fulfilling to see people who I have mentored and coached progress into leadership roles,” says Rinaldi. “I find it instills in them a desire to give back as it did for me, creating a cyclical approach to mentorship that can have a continual impact,” says Rinaldi.
In her role as a mentor Rinaldi has also drawn on her past experiences to demonstrate to her mentees that there is a broad scope to their practice whether they continue in a clinical or leadership role or pursue research, digital health or informatics.
“Much of what I share with my mentees is from my own education at U of T which broadened my perspective on the landscape of healthcare. Nurses can make a significant difference, and the impact they have on research both qualitative and quantitative is something not always clear to novice nurses,” says Rinaldi.
The impact of mentorship has also been felt in Rinaldi’s personal life, where she believes her practice as a mentor and coach has made her a better parent helping her understand the complexities and challenges that young people face. Though her children are adults now, she hopes that she has modelled for them the importance of lifelong learning and volunteerism.
“I’m able to see them be mentors to others and apply these values to their own careers and how they interact with clients or with their own younger family members. It brings me a lot of joy,” says Rinaldi.
As for the future of her volunteer work, Rinaldi is eager to continue supporting Bloomberg Nursing as a mentor to second year Master of Nursing students, and sees it remain a core part of her work for years to come.
How to get involved
Alumni interested in volunteering as a mentor are encouraged to register early for the Alumni-Graduate Student Mentorship Program and submit their Golden Note. If you have any questions or are looking for other ways to engage with the faculty, please contact Jade Shortte, Alumni Relations Officer, at jade.shortte@utoronto.ca or 647-946-7097.