May 11, 2021

'Support the nurses in your life - it’s not easy out here'

Paediatric RN Mandy Idiagbor and nursing alumna in our NurseMentor program says graduating and starting work at the beginning of pandemic was not easy
Mandy Idiagbor

'I’m Mandy, a recent nursing graduate at the University of Calgary. My current population is paediatrics, as I love the family-centered care aspect of what I do. 

If you asked Grade 3 me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would confidently tell you I wanted to be a doctor for kids. As a child, something about helping my friends and other kids feel better was something I knew that I wanted to do. In high school, I started exploring options regarding medical school. I ultimately chose nursing because I wanted the one-to-one patient interaction that bedside nursing would give me.

I have volunteered with various youth groups since I was 10, either through church ministries or acting as summer camp counsellor. I remained active in that volunteer role until the pandemic hit.

I believe that this ability to build rapport quickly and easily with children helps me to excel in my population.

Fast-forward to lots of late-night studying, tears and triumphs, and my weight in lattes and I have a degree in nursing and a career at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. I wish I could write a letter to Grade 3 me and tell her we did it!

Graduating and starting work at the beginning of the pandemic was not easy. But I kept busy, occasionally redeploying to areas like entrance screening or vaccine immunization to support staff and families. I hope to continue working in paediatrics and eventually work in a family medical clinic as well. Support the nurses in your life - it’s not easy out here!'