As a Clinical Nurse Educator, Courtney Johnson seeks out opportunities to help educate her colleagues so they can deliver the best care possible to patients. Working with a multi-disciplinary team to help staff maintain their competencies as well as advocating for professional development opportunities, results in better job satisfaction for her peers.
Courtney enjoyed this role for eight years, when she realized she wanted to pursue further education to be able to propel her career forward. Courtney loves the quote from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “Women belong in all the places where the decisions are made,” and has adapted it to, “Nurses belong in all the places where decisions are made.”
She believes nurses have unique experiences and perspectives where their collective knowledge is essential to solving some of the complex problems that our healthcare system is facing.
She is currently pursuing graduate education, focusing on an advanced leadership program that looks at elevating her practice so she can share knowledge with her colleagues through coaching and mentoring practices.
Courtney was awarded the Florence and Lloyd Cooper Alberta Registered Nursing Educational Trust (ARNET) Scholarship for the excellence she’s shown in pursuing her studies. Education advancement and research is one of Calgary Health Foundation’s priority areas in enhancing healthcare for our community.
“It’s such an honour to receive this scholarship. I returned to school after 15 years with a young family. By them investing in nursing leadership, it shows how much they want to improve healthcare for Albertans.”
The scholarship reaffirmed for her that she was in the right place and even though it was a difficult journey, it was worth it. It also provided financial stability, so she didn’t have to pick up as many extra shifts.
“To be awarded this scholarship – it gives me the confidence that the work I’m doing is important and it’s making a difference.”
She wants to look at different ways to engage staff while still maintaining competencies, by building e-simulations into the days they are at work. She developed an e-simulation so staff could practice code blues which improves nursing responses to patient emergencies.
“I want to make education more accessible for staff. Staff are working overtime and when they are at home, they don’t want to come in for training,” Courtney explains.
She has also looked at creating pre-recorded sessions so when staff are not as busy, they can look at documentation during this time. Her aim is to make the education staff require, fit into the parameters of a working day instead of having it be outside the hours of work.
Her nursing career has been varied, beginning in blood and marrow transplant services in 2007. She also worked in the Intensive Care Unit, and then began her leadership journey when she moved into urgent care in a Nurse Clinician role, followed by a Nurse Educator position.
“I’ve found that I don’t really plan my career. I just go with the flow and as opportunities come up that speak to me, I decide to change direction.”
She’s found a career in nursing to be extremely rewarding and wants people to know that there are so many opportunities to be explored within nursing.
She feels lucky to have been able to make a difference for the staff she leads, while supporting patients on their path to recovery on their own journey.
Being a mother to three children, she wants them to see the important work nurses do. Nursing is very family centered for her, as her grandmother and aunt were also nurses.
“I’ve always wanted to help and care for people, that’s what ultimately got me into nursing.”
By continuing to learn and expand her knowledge, she’ll make a lasting impact on all the nurses that are fortunate to have her teach them. To support innovation in nursing, through programs like the ARNET scholarships, donate to Calgary Health Foundation today!
