After dedicating six years as a registered nurse in vascular surgery, Danielle Cray felt a calling to pursue further nursing studies and continue to positively impact her patients’ well-being in a new role. Witnessing cases where Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) led to lower limb amputations, she wanted to explore the intersection of chronic illness and mental health. Danielle decided to pursue further education and will complete her Masters in Nurse Practitioner this April.
“Living with PAD can lead to an amputation resulting in loss of a lower limb and I kept thinking about how devastating and challenging this would be for individuals who not only live with a chronic disease, but also live with mental illness,” Danielle said.
Her project focuses on identifying strategies that can be put in place to protect the mental health of individuals living with PAD, as well as identifying areas that require further research.
The goal of her thesis is to provide a foundation for routine mental health screening amongst individuals diagnosed with PAD, as well as engaging routine involvement of multi-disciplinary teams. Through her work, Danielle wants to ensure that the connection between chronic disease and mental illness is discussed amongst practitioners, as mental and physical health exist together and can impact each other greatly.
For Danielle, this research incorporates two of her nursing passions: being able to contribute to positive health outcomes for patients, and helping those who manage a chronic disease and mental illness. Her passion for nursing stems from being able to explore numerous areas within her career. Knowing that she has the opportunity to impact patient’s lives in all aspects of their health journey is something she feels is very special.
Danielle was awarded the Florence and Lloyd Cooper Alberta Registered Nurses Educational Trust (ARNET) Scholarship for the excellence she’s shown in pursuing her Nurse Practitioner program. Education advancement and research is one of Calgary Health Foundation’s priority areas in enhancing healthcare for our community.
“I was absolutely honoured to receive this award. It’s rewarding to be recognized as being a nurse leader and to have validation that my project is meaningful and valuable to Alberta healthcare.”
She takes pride in the opportunity to continue the legacy of Florence and Lloyd Cooper, who made significant contributions to enhancing the healthcare system. She hopes that her research will positively impact individuals coping with chronic disease and mental illness.
The financial assistance the scholarship provided has been tremendously helpful for Danielle to dedicate more time to her research. As challenging as it has been to balance work, clinical placement hours and course work, the funds have helped her to not have to work full-time while completing her education.
“Being a nurse is a part of who I am as a person. This career is filled with emotion every day and it can really humble you in a lot of ways.”
One of the challenges of nursing is the variance in emotions she feels between seeing someone get discharged home after a long hospital stay with a positive prognosis, to sitting with someone as they take their last breath and providing comfort to the family.
She’s found what’s most helpful in dealing with the difficult times is finding balance between her work and personal life. Danielle credits having a supportive home environment and compassionate colleagues in getting her through the challenging times.
“As a healthcare provider, we often see people at the most vulnerable times in their life. Sometimes you’re the only person that they have in that moment, and I think that’s something very powerful and should never be taken lightly.”
Coming from a small community in Newfoundland where she began her nursing career and moving to Calgary was a big change for Danielle, but one that she embraces now that she’s settled here. Confident in her path, she revels in a career she loves, knowing it’s precisely where she belongs.
