Nurses...in our own words: Elizabeth Wilcox

To celebrate Nurses’ Week, we asked nurses to share their stories of motivation and aspiration and how they’d like to shape the future of nursing at Nova Scotia Health.

Elizabeth Wilcox, Nurse Mentor

My name is Elizabeth Wilcox. I have been a nurse mentor with Nova Scotia Health for the past 2 years. 

I chose a career in nursing because I have always had a passion for caring for and supporting others. I wanted to make the experience as positive as I could for those accessing our healthcare system, and nursing allowed me to bring compassion, empathy, and support to those in need.

The path to my current role started in 1988 when I began working as a frontline nurse on a medical unit. As my career as a registered nurse grew, I took on roles as a leader, mentor, nurse educator and professional practice lead, but I can say without hesitation that being a mentor was one of the most rewarding. 

I remember as a new nurse the challenges that came with early transition into practice were overwhelming. I was so thankful to have such wonderful mentors who showed me empathy and compassion and truly shaped me into the nurse I am today. I do remember a mentor whom I worked with for several years who made the time to make me feel valued. She showed me true empathy and compassion and emphasized the value of the patient experience and being kind to others. Because of her leadership, I’ve been working as a nurse for 40 years and am now a mentor, too, sharing my experiences and providing support to help new nurses enjoy a lifelong, rewarding career. 

While now semi-retired, my future goal is to continue being part of the mentorship program through Nova Scotia Health - it’s an amazing opportunity to support nurses. I would have to say the impact I want to have by taking on this role is for nurses coming into our organization to have felt supported and valued as important members of the health care team both professionally and personally to encourage them to stay in this amazing and rewarding career.