Big Brothers Big Sisters has helped a Yorkton youth fulfill her dreams. She is the successful recipient of the Community Health Placement for nursing students completing a practicum. Yorkton’s Brandi Thomas was accepted and is looking forward to the learning experience which takes place February 20 to March 2 2012 in Central Dominican Republic. Brandi’s winning submission follows:  COMMUNITY HEALTH PLACEMENT WHY BE ACCEPTED

“Studying abroad in relation to nursing is a chance to gain new perspective on health care and social customs in another part of the world. It would be an exceptional opportunity to enhance my nursing knowledge and skill set; as well as gain strength and confidence in a whole new experience. Coming from a small town in Saskatchewan, I have experienced minimal interaction with other cultures; in turn, attending this program will expand my frame of mind in interacting with people not just professionally, but also socially.  Canada is a multicultural country that I want to better understand and appreciate; having the chance to study in a country which has such diversity and a different health care system will offer opportunities that will allow me to build upon the knowledge I have gained thus far.  Adapting my nursing practice into a new environment with unfamiliar equipment will provide a new perspective on what Canada has to offer for health care in relation to other parts of the world. A great nurse is diversified and can break the barrier between a patient and a doctor to provide the compassionate and empathetic side of care giving. Working with people in poorer circumstances will help me become a better listener and enable me to build a comfortable, trusting, therapeutic relationship with my patients. Understanding my patients allows for an incredible outcome that works for my patient and me because it builds a common ground of communication and continuously strengthens the knowledge I have been building from. I am an open-minded and accepting individual that hopes to familiarize herself with all types of situations and becomes the strong, individualistic, compassionate nurse I know I can be. Post-secondary education can be a financially stressful time in one’s life. However, I have had the honour of being presented with a scholarship that covers a significant portion of my entire nursing degree. I will be using this to help fund my Community Health Placement in the Dominican Republic because the educational gain is so significant. This scholarship was awarded to me because of my active participation in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada. I have been matched with a “Big Sister” for six years and in that time, I have developed a deep understanding in what it means to have and be a mentor. I want to impact the life of an individual who may be less fortunate than me the way my life has been impacted by my mentor. I recognize this group study program as an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and with that, I would be very honoured to be chosen as one of the twelve attending students.I want to be included in the continuous, powerful learning that will take place in the Community Health Placement in the Dominican Republic.” –Brandi Thomas