May 31, 2024
Even before she started her first nursing job at St. Boniface Hospital, Zoe Tetrault knew where she wanted to go with her new career.
“I discovered during my studies that I have a passion for women’s health,” said Tetrault, who works in Labour and Delivery (L&D) on the Hospital’s third floor.
“I find what I love about working in L&D, and why I’m here, is that I try to advocate for my patients and try and make their experience the best it can be,” she said, taking a break from her busy day.
Tetrault, along with fellow nurses Yeseul Jeon and Mena Kozman, are this year’s lucky recipients of the Wyrzykowski Family Graduate Nurse Awards.
All are recent Bachelor of Nursing program graduates: Tetrault from Université de Saint-Boniface started working at St. B in September 2023; while Jeon and Kozman, both from the University of Manitoba, started their jobs at the Hospital in November 2023.
The Wyrzykowski family – longtime and generous supporters of the Hospital – established an endowment fund with St. Boniface Hospital Foundation for graduates employed in their first nursing jobs. A random draw of 95 eligible graduates hired at the Hospital in 2023 was held during National Nursing Week, May 6 to 12, 2024.
“Labour and delivery can be quite traumatic at times. They’re in so much pain, there are risks involved, and so much happens quickly,” Tetrault continued. “I think it’s nice to have someone to advocate for them in terms of consent, and all those things that go along with it. I hope to make it one of the best days they can have,” she said.
“I really like working at St. Boniface Hospital; I love our culture here. I think the culture of women’s health and labour has shifted over the years. We are starting to see more supportive care and different ways to help our patients cope, and I am here for it.”
Yeseul Jeon, Surgery Program Resource Team
Before fulfilling her dream of becoming a nurse, Yeseul Jeon worked for five years in the accounting field.
“Accounting is all about computers, numbers, and money issues,” she said. “The most attractive thing to me about nursing is that it’s very human. I wanted to focus on people instead. So, I gave it a shot.”
“This gives me inspiration”
Jeon first started at St. Boniface Hospital picking up shifts as a health care aide while in nursing school. As a student, she transitioned to being an undergraduate nursing employee at the Hospital before graduating in October 2023. She works on the Surgery Program Resource Team, which sees her floating between four different units depending on staffing needs.
“I love the fact that nursing is from one human to another,” she said. “A lot of things cannot be done by a machine. Nursing is not that simple; I would say it’s a complicated occupation. As humans we can look after each other, but people are very individual. Everyone’s life is different, so it requires that humanity.”
Jeon is grateful for the recognition provided by the Wyrzykowski family. “They gave me a sense that I do want to continue working at St. B. There are days on the job when it’s very challenging. This gives me inspiration, fuels my passion, and encourages me. It says to me, ‘Don’t give up! Just keep going.’”
Mena Kozman, 4E Medicine
Although compassionate patient care is of course important to Mena Kozman, he approached the nursing profession from more of a scientific standpoint.
“Nursing is an interesting field to me,” he said. “I liked a lot of the university courses that were offered, such as pharmacology, and pathophysiology – which is about various illnesses; how to diagnose and treat them. It was a good career choice for me, in terms of what I was interested in. I had earned a science degree before I went into nursing. I’m more of a science-oriented person.”
Now a nurse in 4E Medicine at the Hospital, Kozman has always been interested in hospital work. “My parents are both in health care. They influenced my decision,” he said.
“My dad is a pharmacist, and my mom is a medical lab technologist. She works at St. Boniface Hospital. One of the reasons I wanted to work at St. B myself, was that she encouraged me. She said the staff are nice and, generally, St. B is known for treating its staff well,” he said.
“I like the idea of being able to work with other nurses and share their experiences. I like to work with the same patients for a few days in a row and see them improve, step by step. I am able to expand my knowledge and my skill set; every day I learn something new. I learn from other nurses; the knowledge and experience I can get from them is good.”
Nurses’ dedication lauded
National Nursing Week in May is a special time of year, dedicated to celebrating the heroic and selfless work that nurses like Tetrault, Jeon, and Kozman do for others, said Karen Samson, Executive Director of Health Services and Chief Nursing Officer at St. Boniface Hospital.
“With 2024’s theme, Changing Lives, Shaping Tomorrow, it is so important to reflect on the changes we have seen over the length of our careers,” Samson said in a statement. “Whether they graduated in the past year or if they are celebrating many years in this amazing profession.”
“Their unwavering commitment, kindness, and expertise makes St. Boniface Hospital an environment where compassion embraces science to heal humanity, one patient at a time,” she added.