Two McGill School of Nursing graduates honoured by Stephen Harper
Contributions of 14 nurses nationwide recognized
Nurses Daniel Savoie and Janet Bryanton, both graduates of McGill’s School of Nursing, are among 14 exemplary nursing professionals who received Certificates of Achievement from Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Federal Minister of Health Tony Clement in a ceremony on Friday. The certificates underline the significant contributions made by this diverse group of nurses from across the country to Canada’s health-care system and to the health of Canadians.
After becoming paraplegic as a result of a car accident, Daniel Savoie, who had previously worked in the military, became a rehabilitation consultant to the Canadian Armed Forces. He went on to earn his Master’s in Nursing at McGill and became a clinical nurse specialist at neurology and rehabilitation units of the Moncton Hospital in New Brunswick. Over the last three years, he has worked to develop the Canadian Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, and currently serves on the organization’s board of directors as president-elect.
Janet Bryanton has followed a very different career path, spending 30 years in the nursing profession before earning her doctorate from McGill in 2007. In 2000, her passion for education and research led her to the University of Prince Edward Island’s School of Nursing, where she teaches third-year students in the Bachelor’s nursing program. Her main research interests are perinatal health promotion, and issues surrounding people with mental disabilities and their families. She is currently a member of the PEI Breastfeeding Coalition, a provincial working group dedicated to promoting breastfeeding in the province.
“McGill University’s School of Nursing is particularly proud of the honour bestowed today on two of its graduates,” said Dr. Hélène Ezer, Director of the School of Nursing. “Our graduates are making remarkable contributions to the development of the nursing profession and to providing nursing care throughout Québec and the rest of Canada, as well as on the international stage.”