For as long as MTMS alum Brittany Hayden can remember, she was interested in becoming a nurse. Seeing the smile on someone’s face when she helped them motivated her to enroll at the Gabriel Dumont Institute to pursue a career as a nurse. “When I was younger, I was in a caregiver role for my grandpa. He always called me his little nurse when I would go to the hospital with him. The nurses would always call me that as well. I wanted to help other people. I always had a passion for helping others and wanted to make a difference,” said Hayden.
The MTMS Difference
Hayden felt that the innovative education model at MTMS, which includes an extended school day, set her up for success in the long run. “The extended school day helped prepare me for the longer days as a full-time student,” Hayden said. She also appreciated the small class sizes at MTMS and how the Graduate Support Team was there to provide support throughout her educational journey.
“I remember Becky (Bernhardt, MTMS Graduate Outreach Coordinator) and Jane (Brundige, MTMS Intervention Specialist) were always right beside me to help me with any issues that came up at school or in my personal life. The staff would stick with you and that continued into high school and beyond. They were always there checking in to see if you needed anything,” said Hayden. She described MTMS as a big family. “We travelled together during the summer program and went through a lot of new experiences together. MTMS felt like a big family that wanted to see me succeed,” said Hayden.
Building Mental Health Resiliency
Hayden credits MTMS with providing her with helpful coping mechanisms to build mental health resiliency. At MTMS, students practice Mindful Mornings, which involves equipping students with best practices around breathing, meditation, and visualization. “The Mindful Mornings were really helpful and came in handy. At the time, I thought I don’t need to do this, I’m not stressed but then when I went to post-secondary and became an adult, I realized how important it was to learn those coping mechanisms,” said Hayden.
Hayden discussed the importance of focusing on mental health and how dealing with personal loss motivated her to become a psych nurse. She added that “you need to take time for yourself and do things that you enjoy and find fun.” Hayden recommends learning a few coping mechanisms for when times get tough. “It’s important to be able to ground yourself in the moment and center yourself so that you feel okay,” said Hayden. One technique that she suggests is the 5,4,3,2,1 grounding technique.
"MTMS felt like a big family that wanted to see me succeed." - MTMS Alum Brittany Hayden
Making an Impact in the Community
A highlight of the Nursing Program for Hayden was during clinical. “You got to help people with their daily activities and see how much of a difference you can make in someone’s day,” said Hayden. Now that she has completed the program and started her career as a nurse, she looks forward to impacting more lives. “I look forward to making a difference and seeing the impact that can be made in people’s lives on a daily basis,” said Hayden.
Build brighter futures for MTMS students and DONATE TODAY
If you have any questions about how you can support programs at Mother Teresa Middle School we would love to connect!
Evie Sawatzky | Director of Development
P: 306-569-6867 Ext. 4