Emma Robertson is a Perioperative Registered Nurse currently working at Toronto Western Hospital in Toronto, ON. She recently had a job transition and is learning new things in her career, as well as a student in her second year in the Master of Global Surgical Care. Emma has experience working with interdisciplinary medical teams in Kenya, Indonesia and Rwanda and recently completed training for the Red Cross Emergency Response Unit (ERU).
Read on to find out more about Emma, her experiences, what led her to MGSC, and more!
What are some of your hobbies & interests (cooking, sports, travelling, etc?) What do you love to do in your spare time?
I enjoy trying new restaurants, reading, watching movies, and travelling.
What has inspired you to study and work in the field of global surgery? Please share any experiences you have had in global surgery work.
I was able to complete my final nursing school practicum in Butare, Rwanda which was my first experience with global health. It was there I was able to go to the operating room for the first time and I fell in love with perioperative nursing and global surgical care. I was lucky to be able to travel with a multidisciplinary team annually as a perioperative nurse knowledge sharing in Kenya and Rwanda specifically about awake craniotomies.
Can you please tell us about your career or professional background?
Most recently I transitioned outside of the operating room into a nurse coordinator role with the anesthesia department specifically in chronic pain. I am interested in learning more about anesthesia care outside of the operating room.
Can you tell us more about your experience as a nurse in the MGSC program and any advice you have for nurses interested in our program?
As a nurse in the MGSC program I love learning with a diverse cohort of classmates with experiences in so many areas of healthcare. I was intimidated to apply to the program but my advice to other nurses would be our contribution is important and nurses play an important role in so many aspects of global surgical care.
What attracted you to the MGSC and do you have any advice for anyone who may be considering the program? How do you plan to use the skills and knowledge gained from this program in your career in the future?
I knew I wanted to do a Master’s degree but nothing stood out to me until I saw the MGSC program. I was interested in learning more about global health as an area of interest. I don’t know exactly how I plan to use my degree when I finish but I know that what I am learning can apply to program planning and innovation in any surgical domain around the world.