Where did you complete most of your training?
In Toronto. I came here when I was 17 years old from the Philippines. My nursing training involved obtaining my Diploma at a community college and then after gaining a few years of nursing practice, returned to school on a part-time basis to obtain my Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree at York University. Right after obtaining my Diploma, I started working at TGH caring for orthopedic patients. However, the majority of my nursing career experience is with cardiac patients in various areas such as intensive care, interventional catheterization lab, and now with the Structural Heart Disease Program coordinating the care for patients with CHD requiring procedures by catheter in the catheterization lab.

What is your special area of interest?
Caring for patients with cardiac disease.

What is the best thing about working in CHD?
The CHD team comprises of a specialized and dedicated group of professionals working together to provide the best care to meet the needs of the congenital patient. Being a novice congenital nurse when I started in this position in 2000, I found tremendous support and guidance from all my team members in terms of their knowledge and experience in coordinating interventional care for the congenital patient. Congenital patients have complex needs and coordinating their procedures can be very challenging. Personally, it is rewarding to know that patients like the fact that the team is accessible to them and that I am their link to the team.