Working as a nurse in a field hospital in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic, Uyen faced long, exhausting shifts caring for patients while navigating the uncertainty of the time. The experience deepened her understanding of responsibility in nursing. It also revealed the limits of her country’s healthcare system.
After six years of nursing in Vietnam, amid the pandemic’s emotional toll when many colleagues left the profession, Uyen made a decision: she would not step away. Instead, she committed to developing her skills and raising her professional standards.
That enterprising drive brought Uyen to Canada, where she is now taking Practical Nursing at Mohawk College.
“After the pandemic, I feel that I have a responsibility. And I know that in my country the technology is not as advanced,” she says. “I want to study more, and I want to improve my knowledge, so if I have a chance to support my country, I can have more knowledge to improve the healthcare system.”
Compassion at every step
Uyen’s resilience during the pandemic was rooted in a lesson she learned about the importance of compassion in nursing, long before she became a nurse. As a teen, she watched a nurse care for her grandmother with stomach cancer—feeding her, speaking gently and showing Uyen what dignity in care truly meant.
“I really respected nurses at that time because they’re so patient,” she says. “The nurse who cared for my grandma showed me a lot. I knew a lot of nursing skills before I even studied it. She’s retired now, but I still keep in touch with her.”
Years later, those same lessons of patience and care guided Uyen as she started over in Canada. When she arrived in Ontario, she faced the challenge of learning a new language and adapting to an unfamiliar lifestyle, but she soon discovered a supportive community that helped her find her footing.
Living with other Vietnamese students and connecting through her church gave Uyen a sense of community, while her cousin helped her navigate the practical side of settling in Hamilton. In her English for Academic Purposes and Personal Support Worker classes at Mohawk College, which she took before starting Practical Nursing, classmates from around the world helped Uyen improve her English and encouraged her to speak up, giving her the confidence to keep learning.
“I felt like I wasn’t alone,” she says. “We spoke English together and [worked on things like pronunciation, how to fix grammar and many other things. Now I have a lot of friends from Korea, China, Nigeria and Canada as well.”
Industry-led learning meets community support
Community has also shown up in Uyen’s Practical Nursing experience at Mohawk College. There, she is not only gaining hands-on, industry-led training but also learning from clinical supervisors and instructors who guide her with patience and encouragement. Their mentorship reassures her that she’s on the right path.
“During my clinical experience at Juravinski Hospital, my clinical supervisor showed me that I can be an RN,” Uyen says. “She told me if I need referrals in the future, just to contact her. I thought, ‘She believes in me!’ and that gave me the belief that I can do everything I put my mind to.”
In addition to navigating a new healthcare system and learning environment, Uyen has also faced practical challenges: long commutes to campus, tuition costs and being away from family. Yet, she continued to push herself forward.
Uyen says Mohawk College has not only deepened her understanding of teamwork in delivering safe, patient-centred care but also strengthened her independence, self-reliance and time management.
With each shift and practical nursing experience, her confidence has grown, along with her goals. Now, she hopes to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing to become a registered nurse before 2030.
Reflecting on her journey, Uyen says, “I changed to another location, another language, another lifestyle. But I feel like I’m stronger now. I believe in what I’m doing, and I didn’t choose to give up.”
