We understand the importance of professional development for health care professionals working in neuro-oncology and Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada is dedicated to supporting Canadian health care professionals working in neuro-oncology and neuroscience with a grant to be used towards attendance at an educational or training opportunity.
The Health Care Professional (HCP) – Professional Development Grants provides an opportunity for health care professionals to access funding to enhance their work and role by attending a medical, scientific, or professional development conference / workshop that aligns with the work they do to help people affected by a brain tumour.
Deadline to submit application: Application Submissions Now Closed
Emma Bingham
Interim Advanced Practice Nurse Educator
I would like to thank the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for this generous grant, allowing me to attend the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses’ 2022 Advances in Stroke Care Conference. Though this conference is geared toward the care of patients with stroke, many of the topics are transferable to other neuroscience nursing populations, such as neuroanatomy and assessment, sex and sexuality, depression screening, and providing safe care to patients who are impulsive.
As the interim Advanced Practice Nurse Educator on a Neurovascular and Neurocritical Care Unit, my role includes leading and participating in quality improvement initiatives, contributing to the development and revision of clinical policies, developing and leading education sessions, and supporting staff in their practice to provide care that is safe, holistic, and evidence-based. The work that I complete in my APNE role contributes to the safety and care of the neuroscience patient population, and also builds capacity and fosters well-being among the nursing staff. Because of this, it is important that I am up to date with, and communicate, current evidence-based practice and trends in neuroscience nursing, and attending this conference will be an invaluable way to meet this objective. I am excited for the opportunity to attend this conference.
Rammjot Saini
Occupational Therapist
Halton Healthcare
I would like to express my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for providing me with a 2022 HCP Professional Development Grant. This generous funding will support my journey in taking the Neuro-Developmental Treatment Association (NDTA) Contemporary Practice Model Certificate Course in the Management of Adults with Stroke and Brain Injury, taking place in Waterloo, between April and June 2022.
I work as an Occupational Therapist within the inpatient rehabilitation unit at Halton Healthcare. When I began working in this clinical setting about three years ago, this course was an educational opportunity I immediately identified as something I wanted to partake in. Seeing the more experienced therapists on the unit and the positive impact they had on their clients and their functional outcomes, through applying neuro-developmental treatment (NDT), sparked my passion to pursue this opportunity. This full certificate course is something I had been waiting for, as it can only be offered in-person, and I am ecstatic it is being offered this year and I have been accepted to be a part of it.
Participating in fifteen days of this course will allow me to develop a theoretical basis and understanding of NDT as well as build my assessment, analysis, and physical handling and facilitation treatment skills, in this approach, to support clients with brain injuries and neurological deficits. The intention of this course and application of the NDT approach is to improve functional outcomes for clients and I will be an active participant in supporting them to return to occupations they need to engage in and/or find meaningful, while encouraging hope in their recovery.
Thanks to the support from the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada and the 2022 HCP Professional Development Grant, I completed the NDTA Contemporary Practice Model Certificate Course in the Management of Adults with Stroke and Brain Injury and received my NDTA Certificate of Completion on June 26, 2022.
This course took place over fifteen days and included didactic information, hands-on lab work, treatment demonstrations by instructors, and mentored clinical practice working directly with clients. I learned application of the Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT) approach in a holistic and interdisciplinary manner which will assist me in working with my patients with brain injuries and neurological deficits in a comprehensive and collaborative manner. I built my assessment skills through gaining a deeper understanding of “typical” movement as well as movement impairments that contribute to functional consequences. I developed my treatment skills through application of and practice of facilitation and handling skills.
I have already begun applying my NDT learning within my work setting, as I work with the neurological patient population, and look forward to continuing to contribute to meaningful patient outcomes and the achievement of patient-centered goals!
Bansi Shah
Physiotherapist
Halton Healthcare
I would like to thank Brain Tumor Foundation of Canada for the very generous funding toward the Neuro-Developmental Treatment Association (NDTA) Contemporary Practice Model Certificate Course in the Management of Adults with Stroke and Brain Injury, Course 20A108 that I am to embark on shortly. I work as a Physiotherapist on an Acute Rehabilitation Unit and see a high number of patients with brain injuries.
Working with colleagues who are highly trained in this field, I immediately identified my gap in knowledge and sought out this course. This interdisciplinary course provides 3 weeks of hands-on practical training to work with clients with neurological deficits. Not only does this course provide the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge, it also assists with knowledge on training of caregivers of the clients thus supporting the continuity of care and optimized client outcomes.
My goal is to incorporate this practical knowledge directly into my treatment sessions with the current clients with neurological deficits who I work with. I look forward to input from other professions as well as an opportunity to learn and see a client through different lenses through the multidisciplinary approach of this course. Ultimately, this will benefit the clients and enable me to support the client-centered goals and support the optimization of client outcomes for their best quality of life.
I completed the NDTA Contemporary Practice Model Certificate Course in the Management of Adults with Stroke and Brain Injury and received my NDTA Certificate of Completion on June 26, 2022. This was partly due to the support from Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada and the 2022 HCP Professional Development Grant.
I completed this 15-day course in June 2022 and have started to put into practice what I have learned. This course had some lectures but mostly focused on hands on labs and most importantly they had clients with neurological injurers with whom we could work and put our theoretical knowledge to use. The course instructors were superb at providing treatment strategies and feedback as we worked with these clients.
I learned to look at “normal” movement in detail which then helps identify any impairments a client has. The Neuro Development Treatment (NDT) model also teaches one how to facilitate these impairments within a multi-disciplinary team to provide the best functional outcomes for the client. I look forward to continuing to build my skills with the NDT model of treatment to provide the most effective therapy I can for my clients.
Ritu Puthen
Nurse Practitioner
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
I would like to sincerely thank Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for their generosity in providing me with a 2020 Healthcare Professional Grant. I applied for this grant to use towards attending the fourth International Conference on Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury, originally scheduled for August 2020 in New York City. Unfortunately, this conference has postponed at this time, but I look forward to attending once it is rescheduled.
I work as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner within the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. Our team sees children from 3 months-18 years of age with a moderate-severe acquired brain injury. A number of our children have had newly diagnosed brain tumours and some have undergone tumour resection and or removal surgery, and many continue to receive chemotherapy and or radiotherapy while participating in our rehabilitation program. Other children are months after their initial brain tumour diagnosis and management and continue to struggle with varied sequelae requiring rehabilitation support. This group of children and their families face unique medical issues, health-illness trajectories, and psychosocial support needs.
The 4th International Pediatric Brain Injury conference will focus on assessment tools, innovative therapies and devices, rehabilitation programmes, teaching strategies, psychological and social support as it relates to this population of children with brain tumours and more generally, children with acquired brain injury. I hope to incorporate the knowledge I gain from this conference directly into my work with children with brain tumours and their families to improve their overall well-being and outcomes. Furthermore, attendance at this conference will be an invaluable opportunity to meet other professionals across different countries to learn about current research as it relates to this population.
Thank you again to Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for your generous support.
Ritu will be attending a conference in 2022 with her 2020 Professional Development funds. An update to come in 2022.
Grissel Crasto
Registered Nurse
Toronto Western Hospital
Studies on brain tumour related epilepsy (BTE) indicates that the risk of seizures is up to 100% seizures in low-grade gliomas and up to 60% in high-grade gliomas. BTE can significantly affect a patient’s quality of life and could add to the burden of living with a brain tumour. Understanding a patient’s seizure type can help determine appropriate anti-epileptic drugs and treatment options. My research proposes the development and use of a mnemonic based assessment tool called the “ICTAL” tool to improve the practice and efficacy of assessing patients’ cognitive, sensory, behavioural and motor functions during seizures with the goal of improving and enhancing patient care. I would like to disseminate my findings to nurses and other healthcare professionals looking to improve the bedside assessments of patients during seizures in EMUs across Canada and the world. As a Registered Nurse, funding to disseminate one’s research is often limited, unpredictable and often rare to come by. The Professional Development Grant from the Brain Tumour Foundation will make sharing this assessment tool with Neuroscience Programs across Canada and the world a reality. This grant will positively impact the lives of thousands of patients in the years to come. I would like to thank the Brain Tumour Foundation for this privilege and honour. I look forward to presenting my research at the World Federation of Neuroscience Nurses’ Quadrennial Congress in Darwin, Australia in 2021.
The Professional Development Grant made it possible for me to attend the Canadian Association of Neuroscience Nurses (CANN) Annual meeting, the Canadian League Against Epilepsy Conferences and will also help me attend the European Epilepsy Congress in 2022. Attended these conferences provides an opportunity to educate, network, interact and collaborate with other health professionals in epilepsy on the ICTAL tool, and enhance it for use in varied settings, thereby helping a diverse population of patients living with seizures. I would like to thank Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for their generous support in making the ICTAL tool accessible to patients around the world through these platforms.
Studies on brain tumour related epilepsy (BTE) indicates that the risk of seizures is up to 100% seizures in low-grade gliomas and up to 60% in high-grade gliomas. BTE can significantly affect a patient’s quality of life and could add to the burden of living with a brain tumour. Understanding a patient’s seizure type can help determine appropriate anti-epileptic drugs and treatment options. My research proposes the development and use of a mnemonic based assessment tool called the ICTAL tool to improve the practice and efficacy of assessing patients’ cognitive, sensory, behavioural and motor functions during seizures with the goal of improving and enhancing patient care. I would like to disseminate my findings to nurses and other healthcare professionals looking to improve the bedside assessments of patients during seizures in EMUs across Canada and the world. As a Registered Nurse, funding to disseminate one’s research is often limited, unpredictable and often rare to come by. The Professional Development Grant from Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada allows me to share this assessment tool with Neuroscience Programs across Canada and internationally. This grant will positively impact the lives of thousands of patients in the years to come. I would like to thank Brain Tumour Foundation for this privilege and honour.
Kathy Baillargeon
Nurse practitioner specializing in adult care (neurosurgery)
CHU de Québec-Université Laval
I have the privilege of being one of the 2020 Professional Development Awards recipient offered by Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada. This scholarship will allow me to attend a course offered by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) entitled “From cranial to spine”. This four-day virtual training is offered to specialized nurse practitioners and other advanced care professionals. It is an overview of the various neurosurgical specialties through readings and case studies, with a focus on neuroimaging.
I am a nurse practitioner specializing in adult care (IPSSA) who practices neurosurgery. I graduated in November 2019 and I am currently completing my integration into the various neurosurgical specialties served by the hospital where I work, the CHU de Québec – Pavillon hôpital de l’Enfant-Jésus in Quebec City. I have developed an interest in monitoring neuro-oncology patients and I wish to perfect my training in this specialty. Also, this virtual training opportunity will allow me to perfect my knowledge in neuroimaging, since this part of the training, which is very specific, is not addressed in the IPSSA program.
Thanks to the grant awarded by the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, I was able to attend a training course offered by the American Association of Neurosurgeons (AANS). This training is only for Advanced Practice Practitioners (APP), such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
The training took place over three days and covered neurosurgery in general, which allowed me to see notions of neuroanatomy that are much more advanced than what we see during our university training. In addition, notions of neuroradiology were covered, which was the element that I was most interested in this training. Indeed, neuroradiology is not covered in the university curriculum, and it was a gap that I needed to fill to improve my skills during the follow-up of patients with a brain tumour diagnosis.
This training has allowed me to improve my knowledge of imaging reading and will help me respond more adequately to the needs of neuro-oncology patients.
Carly Cermak
Speech-Language Pathologist
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
It is an honour to be a recipient of the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada’s Professional Development Grant for 2020. This funding will be used to attend the fourth International Conference on Paediatric Acquired Brain Injury scheduled in August 2020 in New York City. The focus of this conference will be on the development of innovative treatments, rehabilitation programs, and support mechanisms for children living with acquired brain injuries.
I work as a clinical Speech-Language Pathologist at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital with children with acquired brain injuries (ABI). In this role, I assess speech, language, and cognitive communication skills to develop individualized therapy plans for children recovering from an ABI and children requiring rehabilitation after neuro-oncology treatments.
Attending the Paediatric ABI conference this August will increase my understanding of the effects of paediatric brain tumors and recent developments in treatments. In turn, this knowledge will enhance my clinical practice skills for children and families receiving neuro-oncology services. Additionally, attending this conference will be an opportunity to share my doctoral work on long-term language outcomes in early childhood traumatic brain injury.
I attended a virtual conference titled, “Childhood Brain Injury: Moving Research into Practice.” This was a 2 day conference on November 13 and 14. There were panelists from all over the world; it was jam-packed with updates on research! Exciting takeaways from this conference included the increase in intervention research for children with traumatic brain injury including problem solving interventions for teens, and parent-skills training programs for caregivers of children with brain injury. There was a larger focus on traumatic brain injury, however some talks were geared towards acquired brain injury in general. Thank you to Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for the funds to support my professional development in brain injury as I continue to expand my clinical and research knowledge base of this population.
Danae Coggins
I would like to thank Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for their generosity in providing me with an HCP Professional Development Grant to speak at the Canadian Association of Neuroscience Nurses (CANN) Annual Scientific Sessions.
Having just completed my MScN at Western University, I advocated for and created a Clinical Quality Specialist role on the clinical neuroscience’s unit at London Health Sciences Centre. This role was created based on needs verbalized by the nursing staff and leadership as affecting quality and safety of care provided to our neuro patients. Within my new role, I am a champion for patient safety, and have created new guidelines to assist in the care provided to patients in restraints. The guideline supports patient and staff safety as we transition these patients off restraints, which promotes best practices and decreases lengths of stay for those awaiting long-term care or rehabilitation.
Thanks to Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada’s generosity, I can travel to Montreal for the Canadian Association of Neuroscience Nurses (CANN) Scientific Sessions to promote these new guidelines for the brain tumour population. The CANN Scientific Sessions are always enlightening, educational, and important, and my attendance allows me to disseminate national neuro nursing initiatives to enrich the practice of the nurses working with this unique patient population.
I’d like to thank Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for generously supporting my attendance at the 2019 Canadian Association of Neuroscience Nurses Scientific Sessions in Montreal.
The conference agenda was robust, with innovative research driven by neuroscience nurses from across the country. Speakers were engaging as they discussed recent evidence informing topics such as neuroplasticity after brain injury, neuro-palliative emergencies, and other rich learning opportunities that nurses could directly apply to their scope of practice within the neurological continuum of care. Poster presentations were informative and visually appealing, and as conference attendees, we had an opportunity to attend sessions of the neighbouring Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation Congress to further enrich our learning and exposure to innovative technology used within neurosurgical care.
The conference organizers did a wonderful job in selecting accommodations and healthy fare. They provided live translation services, as the conference was bilingual. They arranged an educational social event at the Musée Pointe-à-Callière, where attendees learned about the history of Montreal dating back to colonization. We even took a tour through the first sewer system ever built in North America!
Without the support of Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, I would not have been able to experience everything this conference had to offer, nor would I have been able to share my own research relating to removal of restraints, as well as Indigenous health in nursing education to a diverse group of nurses who can use it to benefit their neuro patients across the country.
Thank you so much.
Victorine Sikati Foko
I would like to thank Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for the Professional Development Grant 2019. This funding will be used to attend the 54th Congress of the Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation (NCSF). The CNSF represents the health care professionals whose focus is on illnesses of the nervous system. The CNSF organizes a 4-day Canadian conference every year, during which health care practitioners take accredited science courses to help them in their continued professional development and in the maintenance of their certification.
I have been a nurse in research in the neurological sciences for 12-years at the Neuro-Outaouais Clinic. We offer help to patients affected by many different neurological illnesses (MS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, migraines, brain tumours, etc.) and allow their families to participate in discussions around treatments, treatment options, and symptom management. Presently, I coordinate a clinical trial for patients affected by a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).
The information I will receive in the context of this conference will allow me to better administer supportive treatments to people affected by neurological disease. I will be equipped to educate and to support them throughout their illness. I am excited to share the newly-acquired information with the other members of my team in order to improve the care and support of our patients. I am also very excited to meet other health care professionals and share experiences.
Sheila Hunt
I am very thankful to be a recipient of Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada’s HCP Professional Development Grant for 2019. I will use this grant to attend the 50th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the Canadian Association of Neuroscience Nurses (CANN) in Montreal in June.
In my role as a Neuro Nurse Educator for the Neurosurgery Education Outreach Network (NEON), I offer neuro education to nurses at my hospital and region. The purpose of this education is to improve the care of brain and spinal cord patients in hospitals with a neurosurgery program, but especially in hospitals without a neurosurgery program. Teaching nurses to recognize signs of patient deterioration or to be confident their patient is doing well improves the safety and experience of the patient if they can remain in their home hospital and the experience of nurses is better when they are equipped with the tools they need to provide care.
Attending the CANN conference will not only add to my knowledge of working with patients who have brain tumours, it will enhance my ability to teach other nurses and provide an opportunity to share information I have learned from my work. I submitted an abstract about a fourth ventricle (ependymal) tumour and it was accepted as an oral presentation. This presentation will highlight the life altering impact that this type of tumour has on the patient’s quality of life with a specific teaching focus on cranial nerve function. I am grateful for this opportunity.
Catriona Leckie, RN MN NP CNN(c)
Neuro-Oncology Nurse Practitioner
Calgary, Alberta
I would like to thank Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for the HCP Professional Development Grant that will be used towards my attendance at the 23rd Annual Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) Scientific Meeting and Education Day. I have been working as a Nurse Practitioner in Neuro-Oncology for the last 10 years and currently follow most of our Neuro-Oncology patients and their families in a Nurse Practitioner led, early supportive care clinic. This clinic provides patients and their families with ongoing opportunities to discuss their diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options, symptom management, potential rehabilitation needs, community resources available to them and discussions around advance care planning and goals of care. Patients and their families are seen in this clinic on a regular basis throughout their illness trajectory in order to facilitate these conversations. In the past, the SNO conference has provided attendees with a thorough and updated understanding of the principles of clinical Neuro-Oncology, clinical trials, symptom management, palliative care and survivorship. The information gained from attending this conference will improve my ability to provide best supportive care to individuals who have been affected by the diagnosis of a brain tumour, as I will be more informed to educate and support them through their illness trajectory. I look forward to sharing the information I obtain from attending this conference with other members of our team to further improve the quality care and supportive programs we provide. I also look forward to networking with other healthcare professionals specifically interested in the needs of the Neuro-Oncology population to facilitate discussions around ongoing improvements to care and future research ideas. Thank you again, for this opportunity.
Thanks to Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada’s professional grant, I was able to attend the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) in November 2018. At times I know it can be discouraging for patients, families and healthcare providers, when it comes to discussions regarding treatment options available to brain tumour patients. It was inspiring and encouraging however, to see what is presently being done and learn from an abundant number of dedicated scientists, surgeons, oncologists and allied healthcare providers who continue to work together to help improve quality of life and outcomes for our patients internationally.
Some of the interesting discussions that I was involved in during this meeting included, the complexity of the brain tumour microenvironment, immune based therapies, targetable vulnerabilities, improvement in clinical trials, and palliative care-health outcomes, all of which increased my knowledge and ability to optimize patient care. Discussions around early palliative care supported the approach that we have adopted in Calgary, Alberta. It was encouraging to know that what we have been working on continues to be widely supported and sought after. Suggestions regarding a multidisciplinary approach to palliative care, was also discussed and has led to conversations already at the Tom Baker Cancer Center in Calgary, regarding our supportive care and long-term follow-up clinics with respect to ongoing improvement in patient outcomes. Thanks again to Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for their ongoing support!
Emily Drake, BScH, MA, PhD (Student)
Health Promotion Consultant
Dartmouth, NS
As the former Director of CancerFightClub, I returned to Dalhousie University to pursue a PhD in Health and study the needs of young adults living with metastatic/advanced cancer. Many of these young adults have a primary cancer diagnosis of the CNS or have a cancer that has metastasized to their brain. There are very few resources nationally and internationally for this population, which is why CancerCon is an important event. CancerCon is Stupid Cancer’s annual international conference. It brings together patients, supporters and healthcare professionals to talk about relative issues to the young adult cancer movement. I have been honoured to be an invited speaker in the past and this coming year. The sessions I have been asked to lead are on social media and for those living with a chronic/metastatic/advanced cancer diagnosis. I am grateful to Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for providing me with financial support that will allow me to contribute to this conference and provide important sessions. It will also allow me an opportunity to further my education on relevant issues for young adults living with cancer, contributing back to the PhD and advocacy work that I do.
Thanks to the generous support I received from Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada I was able to attend CancerCon in April of 2018. This patient focused event had nearly 650 delegates from around the world. While the primary audience was young people living with cancer, other attendees included caregivers, healthcare professionals, non-profit employees and advocates. I had the pleasure of speaking on a social media panel that provided a question and answer period for a packed room of delegates on topics concerning use of social media in the young adult cancer movement. On the second day of the event, I co-led a session focused on connecting patients living with metastatic/advanced cancer with each other and important resources. Other highlights of the event included a session on survivorship in communities of colour and a keynote by Dan Shapiro, Ph.D, Vice Dean, Penn State College of Medicine. Young adults are a marginalized cancer population and programming concerning their unique needs, like CancerCon, is vital to pushing the young adult cancer movement forward.
Marie-Andrée Roy, RN B. Sc., D.E.S.S.
Clinical Nurse – Coordinator of the Neuro-Oncology Program
CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS
I was a Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada Professional Development Grant Recipient in 2018. I used my grant to attend the Montreal Brain Tumour National Conference in October 2018. It was the first time that I attended this conference. I have been working in oncology for almost 20 years and I specialize in care and research for patients with brain tumours.
I found the unifying aspect of this conference particularly interesting : health care professionals, brain tumour patients/survivors and members of various associations attended the event. It highlighted the empathy, respect and warmth of Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada.
This conference allowed me to enhance my knowledge of laser surgery as well as the current state of research and available clinical trials in Quebec, other than just in my hospital centre. I also greatly appreciated Ms. Lyne Morissette’s lecture on resilience in relation to nature. It was very touching and really inspiring!
The event made me realize how much Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada helps its patients through several resource handbooks, numerous resources for health care professionals and events aimed at improving knowledge and promotion of research. Now that I am more familiar with the organization, I will talk about it and consistently refer my patients and their families.
Jonathan Russell
Physiotherapist, IRDP, GF Strong Rehab Centre
Vancouver, BC
I would like to thank Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for the HCP Professional Development Grant, which will support my continuing education to improve my care for patients with brain tumours. I am working as a physiotherapist on an Intensive Rehab Day Program at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre primarily with clients who have acquired brain injuries. I plan to use the HCP grant to attend a Basic Bobath course to improve my treatment of individuals with neurological conditions including individuals with brain tumours. The Basic Bobath course includes theoretical foundations and practical sessions to develop handling and clinical reasoning skills. Bobath therapy uses a problem solving approach that helps the client to work towards personal goals considering their clinical presentation. Often clients with brain tumours that attend the Intensive Rehab Day Program have physical impairments that limit their ability to complete daily activities of living and to take part in recreational or vocational activities. Bobath trained clinicians assist clients to improve their postural control, perform selective coordinated movement, and integrate sensory input into their motor control so that the client can better participate in activities with family, friends, and on their own.
Thank you very much to Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for providing the Health Care Professional Grant to assist me in attending a Basic Bobath course in Nov 2017 and April 2018. There were 12 physios who attended the Bobath course with two instructors, which allowed for lots of interaction and specific guidance. We had three weeks of intensive course and clinical work. We were required to complete a written assignment that integrated our course learning in our work with a client. I chose to work with a 32 year old client who had been treated with chemotherapy for metastatic cancer and had suffered a stroke causing hemiplegia. The course helped to improve my assessment, clinical reasoning and treatment skills with this individual and other clients with neurological conditions. I have gained a stronger understanding of the relationship between neurophysiology and my treatment interventions, which has translated to improving the quality of care that I can provide to clients on a daily basis. I appreciate the work that Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada is doing to help people with brain tumours, their families and health care professionals. I am grateful for their support of my professional development so that I can better care for clients with brain tumours.
Kelly Boileau RN, BN, IWK
Halifax, NS
I have worked as a registered nurse in the field of oncology for over 20 years. I have recently taken on the role of the Brain Tumour Nurse Coordinator at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I had worked with brain tumours in the past so I thought I knew the population, but boy was I wrong. I realize I had only touched on the tip of the iceberg. I am so excited to work with this population and broaden my knowledge regarding current treatments and outcomes .The impact of a brain tumour diagnosis on the patient and their family is devastating. It is the lifelong challenging post-treatment side-effects that I have been most surprised about. Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada’s Professional Development Grant will assist me in attending the second Join the Movement to End Brain Tumours National Conference in Toronto. I see this as an invaluable opportunity for me to navigate within this patient population. I am excited to network with people who share the same goal – to improve the lives of those diagnosed with a brain tumour. I want to thank Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for this opportunity.
I would like to thank Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for the Health Care Professional (HCP) Development Grant that I received. I used this grant to attend the 2nd annual Join the Movement to End Brain Tumours National Conference in Toronto. This was my first opportunity to witness in person what an amazing Foundation this is. The conference was full of many wonderful speakers and presentations. I am excited to continue my professional relationship with this passionate group. The members are devoted to caring for those whose lives are affected by brain tumours. This group reminds me of a huge extended family. Since working in this field, I had always been confident in referring patients to Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada’s website but now I cannot sing their praises enough. The level of professionalism and knowledge is amazing. What an amazing resource for anyone across Canada to have available to them.
