Ewelina Stoyanovich, winner of the Nursing Bursary, and Marilyn Fraser, co-chair of the Victoria Hospital Class of 1962
May 12, 2022
On May 4, the Victoria Hospital Nursing Class of 1962 held a reunion luncheon celebrating their 60th year of nursing. Their one-time bursary offering was awarded to a London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) nurse pursuing additional education in the field of nursing and is in good standing in their current nursing role. Ewelina Stoyanovich, Clinical Educator, Nursing Professional Practice, was the winner of the $500 bursary. She was invited to attend the Nursing Class of 1962 at their reunion at the Elm Hurst Inn and Spa in Ingersoll where she was presented with the award.
Marilyn Fraser, Victoria Hospital Class of 1962 co-chair who helps organize and plan the three-day reunion events, notes that the class wanted to offer a bursary this year after reflecting on their age and that as a group, they wanted to give back. “We looked at our age, how much money we had in our account, and knew we may not have very many more reunions after this year – so we wondered what we were going to do with the money,” Fraser comments. “A few of us discussed doing something special for a nurse at LHSC and came up with the idea of a bursary. We wanted to support a nurse who was going to continue their education in the nursing field and we left the rest of the selection criteria for our LHSC contacts to decide.”
Stoyanovich has been a neonatal intensive care nurse since 2013, and recently, she has taken on a temporary Clinical Educator role supporting extern nurses at LHSC and also continues to be involved in various research projects.
While she works at LHSC, she is pursuing her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in nursing, focusing on maternal mental health, digital technology, and the intersection of social media and women’s mental health. “In pursuing these studies, my hope is to use my advanced skills and knowledge to analyze and synthesize evidence for integration into care delivery for the benefit of patients,” Stoyanovich explains. “My graduate and academic activities require travel expenses, including conferences and research-based events. As pandemic-related restrictions ease, I plan to attend in-person conferences and present at them to continue disseminating nursing research.”
She plans to use the bursary money for these conferences and travel-related expenses, but money wasn’t her only motivation for applying for the bursary. “When I saw the opportunity, the aspect of the award that drew my attention the most was attending the luncheon with the ladies at their reunion. I thought it was a great opportunity to meet with these influential nurses and speak with them about the profession, how it’s changed, and how it hasn’t. The luncheon was a big highlight,” Stoyanovich explained.
After graciously accepting the award, she noted, “I was very privileged to be a recipient of the bursary and I thank the Victoria Hospital Class of 1962 for this opportunity. I was proud to spend an afternoon with this class and learn from them. Speaking with the nurses allowed me to see what the profession’s past was like and the challenges that nurses have overcome to get where nursing is today. It gave me hope for the future of nursing and patient-care delivery. I’m excited to continue my learning so I can continue to meaningfully contribute to this profession that means so much to me.”