Nursing is an act of service for Georgian grad
May 9, 2022
It’s National Nursing Week in Canada! Learn how Trevor Walker chose his career because he wanted to help people.
Trevor Walker (class of 2010 and 2013) has always known he was put on this earth to help people in some way. As a palliative nurse consultant with Home and Community Care in Grey Bruce, he’s helped patients as young as eight and as old as 100, as well as their families, navigate their end of life so they can pass away peacefully and safely.
“I have the power and capacity to make sure that during those final stages of someone’s life they are well taken care of, they’re comfortable, they’re happy, they hopefully have no regrets, and they’re able to make it through,” Trevor says. “It’s an act of service.”
You have to look at life a little differently when you’re working in health care. You understand that we’re not immortal, eventually we all have that day when life will end. It’s one of the most profound experiences we will go through in our lifetime. It’s the end.
– Trevor Walker (Class of 2010 and 2013)
When Trevor left high school, he wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted to do. He thought about pursuing a career in music and was even accepted into several schools. But something wasn’t quite right.
“At the end of the day, there was just something missing,” he explains. “I felt like I was put on this earth to help other people in some shape or form. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do that but I kind of fell into nursing because my mom is a registered nurse, as well.”
Before he took the Bachelor of Science – Nursing collaborative program at Georgian and York University, Trevor graduated from the Pre-health Sciences Pathway to Advanced Diplomas and Degrees program at the John Di Poce South Georgian Bay Campus in Collingwood to help him better understand the foundational sciences he would need as a nurse. The program and its faculty gave him the encouragement he needed to follow in the footsteps of his mom, Joanne Walker (class of 2001).
“The South Georgian Bay Campus is known for its community-oriented spirit, where students work closely with faculty, staff, and peers to challenge themselves academically and grow socially and emotionally,” says Lisa Wiley, a faculty and academic coach at the campus. “In the heart of all SGB faculty and staff lies a deep commitment to lifting students to overcome personal challenges, reach toward their potential, and offer back their skills and gifts to their community.”
Pre-Health Sciences is a one-year college certificate program that offers students the foundation they need in math, sciences, writing, and critical thinking while exploring careers and meeting admission requirements for many college and university programs in the field of health care.
“I knew I needed sciences behind me to get into the BScN program but it also helped steer and guide me in which direction I wanted to go,” he says, noting that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be a paramedic, lab technician or nurse when he started the program.
He says he ultimately chose nursing due to the faculty at the South Georgian Bay Campus. “They were really encouraging. I don’t think I was their best student, necessarily, but they did recognize that I had some academic skills and abilities. The grades and feedback from my teachers who encouraged me to pursue further education, made me think, hey, if I really put my heart and soul into it, I could probably do this BScN program. There was a lot of support.”
Trevor is now applying to several schools to take a Master of Science in Nursing degree with a focus on Nurse Practitioner. He praises his teachers in the Pre-health Sciences Pathway program for giving him the skills and confidence to pursue anything he wants to in nursing.
“The nice thing about the South Georgian Bay Campus is that the class sizes are small so you get to know your teachers well and they get to know you well, which is super beneficial when trying to figure out what the heck you want to do,” he says.
More about Georgian’s nursing degree
Study close to home and graduate with the advantage of more industry connections, hands-on practise and one-on-one training with small class sizes taught by expert faculty who care.
- Four-year degree
- Barrie and Owen Sound campuses
- Six clinical placements
- Starts fall 2022
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