About Me

Welcome!

My name is Colleen and I am a Registered Psychiatric Nurse working in Vancouver, BC. My post-secondary education began with the completion of my diploma in Criminology. However, I was not satisfied with this accomplishment and wanted to pursue my growing interest in the field of psychology. That summer, I commenced my Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Psychology at Simon Fraser University, which I completed in 2009. I have always had a passion for helping others and after graduation I started to work in the community with individuals with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges. I found this work rewarding although limiting in its potential due to a lack of resources. After evaluating the limitations, I realized I could do more and took the next step in my education and returned to school where I completed my Bachelor of Science in Psychiatric Nursing at Douglas College. After nursing for four years, I have moved into a leadership role. My passion of helping those in the psychiatric field has never been stronger.

Currently, I work for Vancouver Coastal Health, one of British Columbia’s six health authorities, which has given me many opportunities to advance my practice and provide care to a vulnerable and marginalized sector of the population. These individuals are typically provided with limited resources in the acute hospital and community settings of our society and require a better provision of care to combat the current state of mental health. The ability to affect positive change to those suffering with mental illness has been continuously rewarding, which provides constant encouragement for me to practice holistic, ethical, and compassionate care to all patients. With the ongoing lack of resources for individuals with mental illness and Vancouver’s widespread opioid epidemic, I became determined to help develop the current healthcare model into a working facility for these patients. That is why I am currently enrolled in a Master of Health Studies through Athabasca University. I look forward to learning more about the diverse and evolving healthcare system, by exploring the inequalities the psychiatric sector is faced with when assessing determinants of health. This additional education should also provide the foundation for a continued presence in leadership by improving my team management capabilities and advancing my application skills. This allows me the opportunity to institute innovations to ensure the necessary resources for patients that are not currently available to all of those in the mental health community.

As a Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN), I belong to the regulatory body of the College of Psychiatric Nurses of British Columbia (CRPNBC). CRPNBC defines the professional duties, requirements of education, practical training/skill-set and scope of practice required by professionals it governs (2018). CRPNBC also reinforces ethics and values of an RPN and as a member, I must maintain professional accountability to uphold these standards.

In my free time I enjoy travelling, exploring the different geographic areas of BC and spending time with friends and family; typically providing them with an assortment of baked goods.