Hi! I’m Elizabeth from the sunny Okanagan and I’m in the Psychiatric Nursing Diploma program. After completing a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Psychology and pursuing a Master of Arts in Learning and Technology, I finally enrolled in the Psychiatric Nursing program at Stenberg College.
It took me almost 10 years of contemplating this program before I decided to jump in with both feet. This was because I knew nursing school was a huge financial commitment and I would have to quit my job in order to dedicate my time to the program. I chose to pursue a career in the social services field first, as I was given an amazing opportunity in my early twenties to work for the government. I knew I needed a change when I found myself wanting to provide more healthcare-related support to clients.
I’ve always been interested in mental illness and health care, so I knew psychiatric nursing was a great fit for my personality. I’m not one to sit at a desk all day and stare at a computer. If I can help it, I would rather be on my feet and interact with people. I am looking forward to the different practicum locations in this program so I can experience the various roles that a psychiatric nurse can take on. I am interested in building holistic plans of care and supporting patients as they reach their goals. Plus, I appreciated the option of building my own schedule and the flexibility of learning online with Stenberg’s combined-delivery format. I live a busy life and it is important to me to fit as much into my day as possible.
When I’m not doing school work, I spend my time with my family and watch cooking shows. My guilty pleasure is Pinterest and I always have a project or two, or ten, on the go. Interior design and interior decorating are two of my favorite ongoing projects. I love building a blank space into an efficient and livable environment using textiles, furniture, art, and power tools. If I’m not at home, you can find me at the ceramics shop where I’m painting dishes for my kitchen, or at the dog park trying to wear out my energetic terrier, Indiana Bones.
I look forward to sharing my story as I go through the Psychiatric Nursing Program at Stenberg.
