Nurses...in our own words: Elinor Kelly

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.

Elinor Kelly, Clinical Lead for Plastics and Burns
QEII Health Sciences Centre

Many years ago, when my father had a myocardial infarction, or a “heart attack,” I was impressed by the knowledge and compassion shown to him and our family. Growing up, I had always been the person in my family who was comfortable with illness, and I volunteered as a teenager at the hospital. Being at a hospital always felt like going home. 

Before becoming the Clinical Lead for Plastics and Burns, I was an ICU nurse in medical/surgical/neurosurgical ICU for close to 25 years, eventually becoming the Clinical Lead. In that role, I worked with most complex and acute patients, in particular burn patients. With that experience, I transitioned to a full-time role with the plastics and burn patient population. 

Working in the department gave me a chance to focus on the complex wounds and burn patient population, help patients get better, and give them hope that they will heal. 
My parents were really my inspiration for pursuing nursing. They taught me that a life of service to others has direct meaning, and they were not wrong. 

In the future, I would like to become a Clinical Nurse Specialist for Burns, as there are only six certified burn nurses currently across Canada. I would also like to continue supporting and educating other nurses and care team members. Here at Nova Scotia Health, we’re a small but dynamic Burn Team that provides care to patients across the Maritimes.