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Artifact 1: My Growth From Every Facility I've Worked In Since The Beginning of 2025

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Artifact 1: My Growth From Every Facility I've Worked In Since The Beginning of 2025

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This shot of all of my name tags encapsulates the different facilities ive been in since the beginning of 2025. This means a lot to me and my personal journey as a nursing student/ future nurse because I can recall all the different leanings and experiences that facilitated my growth from the beginning of the year until now.

To the left, is my school of nursing badge. Where I practice my skills and attended labs to prepare for my very first placement at Centennial Place Long Term Care Home, which I am now working in as a Personal Support Worker following my successful student placement there! Interacting with the multidisciplinary team at that comprised of nurses, nursing aids, PSW's, nursing management, and recreational activities staff gave me such a fresh perspective and a true realization for my love of care taking.

In the centre is my PRHC student badge for my maternal/child placement, where I got to experience my first time working in a hospital setting. I never had much exposure to the hospital before then. My family did not have much trust in the Canadian medical system after some very personal and traumatic experiences we experienced back in the 2010's, so my exposure to the hospital thereafter was limited (which may be a good thing, as nothing that warranted another mandatory long term hospital stay ensued). It was refreshing for me to be able to learn and experience what it was like in the postpartum floor. I've never experienced anything like it before!

Lastly, to the right is my current placement badge from Ontario Shores for my mental health placement. Another unique experience! I have never been in close proximity with folks that possess mind altering mental illnesses before, so learning how to interact with them the first few weeks was a challenge, but I was always determined to learn as much as I can by stepping out of my comfort zone.

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Artifact 1: A story about my meeting my patient with Schizoaffective Disorder where she is at. 

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Artifact 1: A story about my meeting my patient with Schizoaffective Disorder where she is at. 

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During my mental health placement, I cared for a patient diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder who was placed on a hygiene program due to her frequent refusal to shower. At first, it was easy to view this as noncompliance or resistance, but I reminded myself to pause and consider what might lie beneath the surface. A trauma-informed lens taught me that behaviours, especially in mental health, are often rooted in past experiences we cannot see. When I encouraged her to shower, I noticed that her responses became more fragmented and incoherent, and her distress seemed to intensify. It made me reflect: what if being asked to shower was triggering something painful or confusing from her past? Instead of pushing, I learned to approach her more gently, focusing on building trust and offering choice without pressure. She enjoyed pepsi; its something that literally motivated her to wake up in the mornings sometimes. It is apart of her care plan to use pepsi as a token of achievement for her if she showered. At first, it didnt sit right with me. Its like we were coercing her to shower. But i reframed my thinking and later understood that by offering the pepsi, we were using something that was positive to her to try to encourage her to take care of herself in ways she needs it.

This experience reminded me that relational caring means suspending judgment and staying curious. It's not about getting a task done, it's about understanding what safety, dignity, and compassion look like for each unique person. Using Pepsi as a positive motivator is client-centred because we are offering her a sense of purpose and motivation by meeting her where she is comfortable.

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Artifact 1: Skin-To-Skin changed my perspective on therapeutic touch

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Artifact 1: Skin-To-Skin changed my perspective on therapeutic touch

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I never truly understood the weight or meaning of human touch. Personally, it has always made me uncomfortable. It's probably the lowest on my love language list, and for most of my life, I didn’t see it as essential to connection or comfort. That changed the day I witnessed a newborn placed gently on their mother’s chest for skin-to-skin contact during one of my maternity floor placements. My clinical instructor and I were in the room performing a BUBBLEHE assessment on mom. Suddenly, her baby started crying. I remember seeing its tiny fists clenched and face red with distress, but the moment they were laid on their mother’s bare chest, everything changed. Almost instantly, the room fell quiet except for the sound of steady breathing. I watched the baby's tiny body relax instinctively the second mom was nearby. It was a profound, wordless exchange of safety and love that I had never fully appreciated before.

That moment opened my eyes to the silent language of touch. I now understand touch not as something invasive or uncomfortable, but as a form of presence, grounding, and healing.

Later in my mental health placement, I carried this lesson with me when caring for a patient struggling with severe OCD, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. They were often restless and guarded. I noticed that she rarely makes eye contact and is hesitant to engage with anyone. One particularly difficult day, I sat beside her, not pushing conversation, just quietly present. When the moment felt right, I gently placed a hand on their shoulder during a moment of deep distress. I wasn’t sure how it would be received, but their response was immediate: they looked at me, their breathing slowed, and their shoulders softened. It wasn’t magic, and it didn’t cure anything, but in that moment, I think it helped them feel seen and safe. That quiet, therapeutic touch became a bridge for trust. It reminded me that connection doesn’t always require words; sometimes, presence alone is powerful enough to be healing.

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Artifact 1: A clinical interaction with a Single Mother that exposed my unconscious biases and sparked growth in postpartum care

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Artifact 1: A clinical interaction with a Single Mother that exposed my unconscious biases and sparked growth in postpartum care

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On one of my first clinical days on the maternal-child unit in PRHC, I was assigned to a 19-year-old patient who was three days postpartum with her second child. She looked so young and she was alone. No parents, no partner, no “ring on her finger.” As I shadowed my nurse to help deliver discharge teaching, I caught myself quietly making assumptions in my head. I remember thinking, “Why would she keep the baby?” and “Life is going to be so hard for her.” I felt a wave of pity for the new mom, but deep down I know it wasn’t the kind that empowers other women; it was the kind that was unconsciously judgmental.

In that moment, I realized how quickly my own biases had surfaced and how I had allowed a narrow snapshot of her life to shape a narrative in my mind. It was a humbling experience because we learn in school and in class that as healthcare workers, we are to use relational practice and cultural safety as core values to carry in order to deliver patient-centred care. I admit that in that moment, I was not able to apply some very important learned values into my practice. This was the moment I realized that culturally affirming care isn't only about race.

After some deeper reflection, I recognize that it takes a conscious effort to reshape preconceived biases. This moment made me reflect on the quiet power of presence. Even when I say nothing, how I think can affect how I care. My role as a nurse is not to impose my values, but to meet people where they are. My judgments should never overshadow the dignity, resilience, or agency of the patient in front of me. My 19-year-old patient wasn’t asking for pity; she was preparing to go home and take care of herself and her children. That, in itself, deserves recognition and respect.

To be relational is to constantly check in with myself and to to choose compassion over assumption and curiosity over judgment. Moving forward, I vow to wipe away and reframe any biases and preconceived notions I have about single motherhood by dedicating time to research, learn, and speak to mothers to gain a deeper, more authentic sense of aesthetic knowledge so that I can deliver culturally sensitive care.

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Artifact 2: First time assigned to a patient with Schizoaffective Disorder, this was the first video I watched when I got home from clinical placement

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Artifact 2: First time assigned to a patient with Schizoaffective Disorder, this was the first video I watched when I got home from clinical placement

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During my first mental health placement day, I was paired with a patient who had a diagnosis of Schizoaffective Disorder. It was my first time coming into contact with someone who showed visible signs of the illness.

My patient had magical thinking, flight of ideas, and pressured speech when she spoke. I have never seen anything like it before. This video was the first video I watched the day I got home from my first placement to learn more about the disorder. This youtube channel has a lot of easily digestible content that's backed by scholarly research.

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Artifact 3: "Mental Health Problems Don't Define Who You Are" - Matt Haig

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Artifact 3: "Mental Health Problems Don't Define Who You Are" - Matt Haig

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This quote by Matt Haig deeply resonates with my nursing practice, especially in the context of mental health care. It reminds me to see the person beyond the diagnosis, and to recognize that mental health challenges are experiences, not identities. In my practice, I strive to hold space for individuals navigating these experiences with compassion, dignity, and respect. The metaphor of feeling the rain but not being the rain speaks to the importance of separating a person’s essence from their struggles, which is central to providing trauma-informed and person-centered care. It has shaped the way I approach patients, like my patient with schizoaffective disorder: not to see them as cases to be managed, but as human beings with stories, strengths, and the capacity for resilience. This perspective reinforces my commitment to advocate for those facing mental health challenges, to listen without judgment, and to walk beside them with empathy. I know that healing often begins when people feel truly seen and valued for who they are, not just what they’re going through.

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Artifact 2 : "A mothers love is more than enough" - Denise Williams 

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Artifact 2 : "A mothers love is more than enough" - Denise Williams 

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A beautiful quote by Deniece Williams about single mothers. To me, this quote reminds me of how truly strong and resilient single mothers are. It reframes my perspective to see them as a whole. Human beings who try, human beings who have faith in themselves and the love that they give.

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Artifact 3: TEDx Talk: Rebranding The Single Mom by Cara Lamieux 

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Artifact 3: TEDx Talk: Rebranding The Single Mom by Cara Lamieux 

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In this TED talk, Cara Lemieux speaks on how changing the narrative from stigmatizing single motherhood to empowering single motherhood can transform how single moms see themselves and how society treats them.

This TED talk spoke to me and gave me insight to reflect and reframe my way of thinking. In nursing, we must be mindful of the language we use when labelling our clients to prevent unintentionally marginalizing them. We must also reframe the way we view the word "single" and let go of any preconceived narrative that comes along with the label. Cara emphasizes understanding the lived experiences of said single mothers by asking questions and listening to their unique stories. She states "there was this loom of shame at the back of my for being a single mother, just for living existing while doing my best".

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Rebranding the Single Mom | Cara Lemieux | TEDxUrsulineCollege

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Artifact 1: A Reflection on small interactions that held unexpected emotional or therapeutic weight for both me and my patient - Relational Caring

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Artifact 1: A Reflection on small interactions that held unexpected emotional or therapeutic weight for both me and my patient - Relational Caring

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During one of my clinical days, I returned to check on a postpartum patient who mentioned she was feeling nauseated earlier, and I greeted her and her baby by name without looking at the chart. I remember her smiling and saying, “You remembered our names!”. I feel that in that moment, that simple acknowledgment made her feel seen in a moment where she may have felt like just another room number.

This interaction reminded me that in a hospital's fast-paced environment, even recognition can be care. I realize how something so small could affirm someone’s humanity.

I then offered to sit with her as she was waiting alone for bilirubin and other diagnostic results for her baby. During that time, I made an effort to get to know her while answering any questions she had about her stay at the hospital. She later thanked me for keeping me company and for the reassurance I provided. Though the interaction was brief, it taught me that presence can be a form of care too. The absence of “nursing tasks” didn’t mean there wasn’t therapeutic value in just being there for the patient. Using my personal way of knowing, I communicated with my patient using therapeutic communication techniques and was able to exercise a therapeutic way of relational caring through connection.

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Artifact 2: The Difference between Care and Caring - Youtube Video

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Artifact 2: The Difference between Care and Caring - Youtube Video

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This is a video I recall seeing during my first year of nursing school in a seminar from Professor Jaime's NURS1000 course. In NURS 2001, we have also seen similar films in out modules that emphasize the difference between care and caring.

This video stands out to me and is included in my artifacts because it was the first film that moved me to tears. In different parts of this film, the medical professionals mention "seeing the name of this patient before" and "what is the patients name?". To me, it described the importance of relational caring in a way where we see patients as a human being with their own name and their own story rather than just another body to take care of in the hospital.

Including this in my artifacts is a milestone for me as I felt that I was able to relay my empirical way of knowing to perform holistic and relational caring into my practice during my clinical placement by taking the time to know my patient by name and listen to their story.

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Artifact 3: Quote by Patch Adams on Treating the Person 

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Artifact 3: Quote by Patch Adams on Treating the Person 

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This quote resonates deeply with me, especially now that I’ve had the opportunity to care for real patients as a student nurse. In school, we spend so much time learning about signs, symptoms, interventions, and medications. But the reality is, not everything is like the textbook. Not every outcome is what we predict it to be. And yet, I’ve learned that connection and compassion can still make a difference, even when a pill may not.

This quote makes me think about the patients I’ve met, like the mother who teared up when I simply remembered her and her baby's name. These weren’t huge “medical wins" by any means, but I see them as human wins. In those moments, I wasn’t treating a diagnosis. I was caring for a whole person. A person with fears, hopes, and stories I couldn’t always see in the chart.

This quote reminds me that nursing is not just about clinical outcomes; it’s about presence, dignity, and connection. Moving forward, I want to ground my practice in that truth. I want to listen more closely, ask with curiosity, and care without assumption. Whether someone is healing, grieving, recovering, or letting go, if I can make them feel heard, respected, and human, then I’ve done something that matters.

As I continue my journey, I hope to be the kind of nurse who remembers that winning doesn’t always look like a solved problem. Sometimes, it looks like simply being there for them when no one else is.

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Postpartum psychological pressure on single mothers: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

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Postpartum psychological pressure on single mothers: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

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Benuyenah, V., & Tran, P. B. (2021). Postpartum psychological pressure on single mothers: an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Science, 3(3), 199–216. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHASS-12-2019-0089

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"Single mothers experience high rates of psychological distress" - Article by Watson & Kalcat (2024)

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"Single mothers experience high rates of psychological distress" - Article by Watson & Kalcat (2024)

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Single mothers experience high rates of psychological distress. The safety net can help.

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About one-third of all mothers in the U.S. today are unmarried. On average, single mothers have lower levels of wealth, are more vulnerable to economic shocks, and have more caregiving responsibilities. They are also more likely to experience mental health challenges. Mental health is a key factor in maternal well-being and can have wider impacts on families. For example, poor maternal mental health is associated with worse academic and psychological outcomes for children. Improving maternal mental health is one pillar of strengthening family well-being.

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Best-Practice Guidelines and Care Plans for Schizoaffective Disorder

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Best-Practice Guidelines and Care Plans for Schizoaffective Disorder

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Nursing Care for Clients with Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder

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This article outlines nursing care for clients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, emphasizing symptom management, safety, and therapeutic relationships. Using the Care Area Tags (CATs) framework, it presents a client-centered care plan with Issue-Outcome-Action structure, promoting recovery through evidence-based interventions and interdisciplinary collaboration.

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To construct a strong therapeutic alliance, open conversations, trust and respect play a fundamental role, with the ultimate goal being to establish a partnership to optimize patient outcomes. Strong therapeutic alliances have been shown to correlate with positive patient outcomes, notably symptom severity, hospitalizations, rates of drop-out from psychosocial treatment, and adherence to medication

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Off-Campus Resource Access Login - Trent University Library & Archives

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This resource is licensed for your use by Trent University Library & Archives. Off-campus access is restricted to members of the Trent community.

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My clinical group (I see them as family now, really)

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Artifact 2: Effective Nursing Is Deeply Rooted In Human Connection

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Artifact 2: Effective Nursing Is Deeply Rooted In Human Connection

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During my clinical rotation, the growth I experienced with my clinical group was both profound and deeply transformative for me as a nursing student. As we navigated complex patient care scenarios and emotionally charged moments, our ability to work collaboratively became the foundation for both our personal and professional development. Through the lens of the ways of knowing, particularly empirical, ethical, and aesthetic knowing, we learned to integrate evidence-based practice with moral reasoning and personal understanding of each patient's unique experience. Yet, it was through relational knowing that I grew the most: recognizing that knowledge is co-created through authentic connections with others, whether peers, patients, or mentors. In our group, we learned not just from textbooks or instructors, but from one another by sharing insights, offering feedback, and supporting each other during moments of uncertainty and vulnerability.

This dynamic fostered a spirit of mutual respect and trust, teaching me that effective nursing goes beyond clinical competence; it is deeply rooted in human connection. These experiences solidified my belief that teamwork is not simply about task-sharing, but about cultivating relationships that enhance our capacity to care, reflect, and growing together.

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Artifact 3: Art Gallery Project Artifact: Scratching Beneath the Surface

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Artifact 3: Art Gallery Project Artifact: Scratching Beneath the Surface

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This was my art gallery project done to symbolize the importance of "scratching beneath the surface" when it comes to understanding our clients and the level of health literacy they possess. The art is done on black scratch art paper, revealing a golden under layer. The image is of a dragon, which alluded to one of our weekly module themes of Chinese Canadian's struggles with mental health. My own family included, Chinese people have a very hard time accepting or recognizing mental health as health. It is important from a cultural humility standpoint to understand the differences behind everyone's cultural upbringing and acknowledge that differences in teaching means that everyone comes to the table with different levels of health literacy. It is important to not judge our patients for the level of health knowledge they possess. As nurses, it is our job to provide our clients with the appropriate health teaching in order to guide them towards a better health outcome.

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Book: Leadership in nursing practice : the intersection of innovation and teamwork in healthcare systems By: Daniel Robert and Kara Mangold

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Book: Leadership in nursing practice : the intersection of innovation and teamwork in healthcare systems By: Daniel Robert and Kara Mangold

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https://ocul-tu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_TU/jk8eeu/alma993820349305151

Weberg, D. R., & Mangold, K. (2023). Leadership in nursing practice : the intersection of innovation and teamwork in healthcare systems (Fourth edition.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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Using a Structural Intersectionality Approach to Understand Drivers of Health Inequities

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Using a Structural Intersectionality Approach to Understand Drivers of Health Inequities

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Jaynes, S., James, K. F., & Scott, J. (2023). Using a Structural Intersectionality Approach to Understand Drivers of Health Inequities. Nursing for Women’s Health, 27(4), 308–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nwh.2023.03.002

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Nursing presence—Teaching the art of nursing through the use of high-fidelity simulation: A descriptive observational study

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Nursing presence—Teaching the art of nursing through the use of high-fidelity simulation: A descriptive observational study

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Kostovich, C. T., & Van Denack, J. (2025). Nursing presence—Teaching the art of nursing through the use of high-fidelity simulation: A descriptive observational study. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 103, Article 101733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2025.101733

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Exploring the Evolution of the Term “Presence” in Nursing : A Literature Review 

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Exploring the Evolution of the Term “Presence” in Nursing : A Literature Review 

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Monge Moreno, J. T. (2025). Exploring the Evolution of the Term “Presence” in Nursing: A Literature Review. Holistic Nursing Practice, 39(4), 239–249. https://doi.org/10.1097/HNP.0000000000000719

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Artifact 2: Healing Touch Certified Practitioner Program

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Artifact 2: Healing Touch Certified Practitioner Program

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This is an accredited Healing Touch Program I came across when I was doing more research on the power of touch earlier this semester. As a Healing Touch Certified Practitioner (HTCP), you practice healing on the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual level. This is acknowledged as a type of energy healing medicine within the realm of traditional healthcare.

I find this type of practice very intriguing because my family has visited this type of holistic healing before. This is something that I've come across in my youth but never got the chance to fully explore until I've recently come across it again. I think its important to recognize that there are alternative healing therapies that exist that work hand in hand with traditional scientific medicine. If a patient presents with beliefs in this practice, as nurses, we should keep an open mind and opt to learn about alternative ways of healing that suit the client. Not only would we be able to deliver client centred care, but my practice can grow as I meet and unlock more therapeutic ways of knowing.

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The Effect of Healing Touch on Critical Care Patients’ Vital Signs

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The Effect of Healing Touch on Critical Care Patients’ Vital Signs

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Davis, T. M., Friesen, M. A., Lindgren, V., Golino, A., Jackson, R., Mangione, L., Swengros, D., & Anderson, J. G. (2020). The Effect of Healing Touch on Critical Care Patients’ Vital Signs: A Pilot Study. Holistic Nursing Practice, 34(4), 244–251. https://doi.org/10.1097/HNP.0000000000000394

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Hello! My name is Karen Ip. Welcome to my Nursing Journey 

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Hello! My name is Karen Ip. Welcome to my Nursing Journey 

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Podcast Episode - Karen Ip's Nursing Journey 

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Podcast Episode - Karen Ip's Nursing Journey 