Nursing students receive inaugural SickKids Award for Indigenous and Black Nursing Students

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) launched the Award for Indigenous and Black Nursing Students in November 2021 as part of the organization's commitment to Indigenous Health equity and broader equity, diversity and inclusion. The award includes a $5,000 bursary and a clinical placement for up to four nursing students interested in becoming a paediatric acute care nurse at SickKids upon graduation.

The inaugural recipients are Hilda Oni, Kelly-Ann Reid, Amanda Reynolds and Mulenga Kasutu. These recipients were selected based on their commitment to paediatric acute care nursing and health equity, as well as their exemplary leadership and courage.

The 2021 recipients include: 

Amanda Reynolds

"As a Black female nursing student, I have always been interested in supporting others through advocacy. My mission in nursing is to contribute to health equity for vulnerable populations in Canada. I am drawn to SickKids because I feel that the hospital's values align with my goals, especially their family-centred model of care. It is a privilege to come to SickKids every week to support families, and I am grateful to be recognized for my work as a nursing student and extern. I am very fortunate to receive this support from the SickKids community, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me at SickKids."

Hilda Oni 

"As a current fourth-year nursing student at Ryerson University, I am so excited to be starting my consolidation at SickKids in the Cardiac Inpatient Unit! I am looking forward to having meaningful interactions with patients and families while helping youth manage and treat their cardiac conditions. Through this experience, I want to engage in family-centred care to promote children's physical and mental health while supporting their families through the challenges they face. Ultimately, I look forward to collaborating with the entire health-care team and growing my skills as a nurse."

Kelly-Ann Reid

"It is an absolute honour to have been selected for this award, along with being able to do a consolidation placement at SickKids. To me this award is about representation, for those that look like me, for anyone  who may read this and want to enter the nursing field. I want to use my platform to be a voice and ally for those that face unjust disparities in health care due to discrimination and prejudice. Diversity and inclusion are at the forefront of the care I want to provide for my community and I am looking forward to working with an organization that promotes these values in health care. When I look back on my life and nursing career thus far, I'll always remember teachers, mentors and clinical experiences that have shaped who I am and the nurse I want to become – that is the impact and difference I want to leave on the lives of children and families I'll come to work with at SickKids."

Mulenga Kasutu

"I hope to learn from SickKids nurses' critical thinking skills and high-quality care skills and apply them in my future career. I am most excited to precept with nurses who can provide me with support and exceptional opportunities to learn more about child and family-centred care."

This award has been generously supported through the Grace Evelyn Simpson Reeves Endowment fund and will be offered again for the 2022/2023 academic year. Learn more about the award.