I graduated in 2008, so 17 years this year\u2014I think. That sounds older than I feel.<\/p>\n
2. Where did you complete your nursing education, and when did you graduate?<\/strong> 3. What inspired you to become a nurse?<\/strong> 4. Where do you currently work, and what is your role there?<\/strong> I help patients navigate the healthcare system\u2014things like medication enrolments, allied health consults, referrals to specialists, counselling, and program development. I also coordinate advanced Parkinson\u2019s therapies, including Deep Brain Stimulation consults to out-of-province centres, Duodopa (an intestinal gel form of levocarb), and Vyalev, a new subcutaneous levocarb pump.<\/p>\n I share some responsibilities with the MS Coordinator\u2014like migraine drug enrolment\u2014and assist neurologists with various procedures: Botox\/Neurotoxin clinics, lumbar punctures, Baclofen challenges, and pump refills.<\/p>\n 5. Can you walk me through a typical day in your role?<\/strong> 6. What do you enjoy most about your current area of nursing?<\/strong> 7. What are the biggest challenges in your current role?<\/strong> 8. Have you worked in other areas of nursing before? If so, how do they compare to your current work?<\/strong> 9. What position(s) do you hold within your branch or the union?<\/strong> 10. Why did you get involved with the Registered Nurses\u2019 Union of Newfoundland and Labrador?<\/strong> 11. What\u2019s one thing you\u2019ve learned since becoming involved with RNU?<\/strong> 12. What advice would you give to nurses who are thinking about getting involved in the union?<\/strong> 13. How has your involvement with RNU influenced your career?<\/strong> 14. Have you participated in union initiatives (e.g., committees, negotiations)? If so, what was your experience like?<\/strong> As a shop steward, I learned to think on the spot\u2014nurses come with collective agreement questions daily, so you need to know your stuff. Supporting a member in a difficult meeting with managers? You learn to navigate those situations and when to call RNU head office for support.<\/p>\n As Branch Secretary, I developed great organizational skills. Technology has changed so much over the past 15 years, and keeping members engaged is a moving target.<\/p>\n Being Branch President taught me time management (I had two small kids and worked full-time shifts!) and how to advocate for our members.<\/p>\n 15. What do you think are the biggest issues facing nurses today, and how can the union help address them?<\/strong> 16. Can you share a favourite memory from your nursing career?<\/strong> 17. What has been the most rewarding aspect of being a nurse?<\/strong> 18. What has been the most challenging part of your career?<\/strong> 19. What advice would you give to someone considering a move to your area of nursing?<\/strong> 20. If you could change one thing about your workplace or role, what would it be?<\/strong> 21. What changes or improvements would you like to see in healthcare or nursing in Newfoundland and Labrador?<\/strong> 22. What makes you proud to be a nurse?<\/strong> 23. How do you see your career evolving in the next few years?<\/strong> Personal and Professional Background 1. How long have you been a nurse?I graduated in 2008, so 17 years this year\u2014I think. That sounds older than I feel. 2. Where did you complete your nursing education, and when did you graduate?I graduated from MUN CNS in 2008. I\u2019d also completed a B.A. in Political Science and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[18,50,104],"class_list":["post-1328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nursing-matters","tag-registered-nurse","tag-nurse-spotlight","tag-jessica-dwyer-milley"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
I graduated from MUN CNS in 2008. I\u2019d also completed a B.A. in Political Science and Religious Studies, but most of that time was spent in the Breezeway and on MUN social pub crawls.<\/p>\n
All joking aside, I took a few political science courses that explored social injustice in healthcare, and it was something I became passionate about. My mother is also a Registered Nurse and worked in Mental Health for most of her career. She loved her job and the staff at the Waterford Hospital, and always spoke passionately about her work\u2014that was a big influence too. My original plan was to graduate and work for Doctors Without Borders\/M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res.<\/p>\nCurrent Role and Work Experience<\/h3>\n
I work for Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, Eastern Urban, in the Neurology Department at the Health Sciences Centre. I’m the Movement Disorders Coordinator. Movement disorders include neurological diseases like Parkinson\u2019s, Huntington\u2019s, and neuromuscular conditions such as ALS and Myasthenia Gravis.<\/p>\n![\"Jessica](\"https:\/\/intouch.rnunl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_6966-294x300.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
There is no typical day. I could be assisting with a lumbar puncture one minute, then helping a patient navigate a new ALS diagnosis the next. A lot of my role involves system navigation\u2014especially for patients outside the Eastern Urban zone, where healthcare providers aren\u2019t on the same documentation system. It\u2019s like looking people up in the Yellow Pages until you find the right contact. (Yes, I\u2019m dating myself!)<\/p>\n
I really enjoy neurology. I\u2019ve made amazing nursing friends across the country\u2014we\u2019re all \u201cNeuro Nerds.\u201d I love attending conferences because they recharge my passion for nursing. We all need that sometimes.<\/p>\n
It can be overwhelming. I bring a lot of the emotional weight home. It\u2019s hard to switch off the mental \u201cto-do list\u201d and focus on home life. Receiving a new diagnosis\u2014especially when the patient is young\u2014can be heartbreaking.<\/p>\n
Mostly neurology, though I briefly worked in women\u2019s health as a staff nurse. At the time, I had two small babies at home, and there wasn\u2019t enough separation between home and work life\u2014so I returned to neurology.<\/p>\nUnion Involvement<\/h3>\n
I\u2019ve been involved with the union since the start of my career\u2014as a shop steward, Branch Secretary, Branch President, and Board of Directors member.<\/p>\n
Honestly, my mentor brought me to a meeting because we were looking for funding to attend a neurology nurses\u2019 conference. They asked for volunteers at the branch meeting, I raised my hand\u2014and I\u2019ve been involved ever since.<\/p>\n
Each area of nursing has different challenges, but we\u2019re all in this together. It\u2019s not a competition over who has it worse.<\/p>\n
Do it. The leadership skills, public speaking experience, and national conferences are incredible. But the best part is the friendships\u2014I\u2019ve made lifelong friends through the Union. It\u2019s made me a better nurse. I now have connections all over the province, which helps with patient care. Need an SLP in a rural community? I\u2019ll reach out to Luke or Jill or someone I met through the Union. Dealing with a workplace issue? Maybe I remember Bill speaking at convention about the same thing\u2014I\u2019ll call him for advice.<\/p>\n![\"Jessica](\"https:\/\/intouch.rnunl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_1477-205x300.webp\")
<\/p>\nProfessional Impact and Growth<\/h3>\n
(See above.)<\/p>\n
Every role brought new experiences.<\/p>\n
Burnout. The public is frustrated by the system, and nurses are the frontline faces. It\u2019s hard to keep your head up when you\u2019re trying to improve care, but red tape keeps getting in the way. That\u2019s disheartening\u2014especially when it impacts patients.<\/p>\nMemorable Experiences<\/h3>\n
Thankfully, I have lots: singing with coworkers to distract a patient during a tough procedure, hugs from patients and families, washing someone\u2019s hair and seeing how much better they feel, every laugh with coworkers, mini dance parties to boost morale on hard shifts.<\/p>\n
When a patient sees you, smiles, squeezes your hand, and says, \u201cThank God you\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trying not to burn out. And trying to make a system work better for your patient.<\/p>\nAdvice and Aspirations<\/h3>\n
Neurology is awesome. You\u2019ll develop strong nursing skills and have great experiences with your team. Get involved with your union or national nursing group\u2014it expands your network. I have nursing friends from coast to coast who listen, offer advice, and truly get it.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d love another nurse in my role, and more support for our other neurology nurse. Our department has expanded, but nursing support hasn\u2019t. Neurology is a specialty where we rarely discharge patients\u2014many conditions are degenerative and lifelong, so needs only increase. That means more mobility aids (often bulky), in a hospital over 50 years old. We need updated infrastructure: wider doorways, less hallway clutter.<\/p>\n
Patients often delay accepting help\u2014like home care or ramps\u2014until they really need it, but by then, the wait is long and frustrating. As healthcare professionals, patients, and family members, we need to take a proactive approach and prepare for aging.<\/p>\nPersonal Reflection<\/h3>\n
When patients tell me they\u2019re doing well\u2014and that I helped\u2014it makes me proud. I\u2019m also proud when a process I helped improve leads to better patient care.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m a hardcore Neuro Nerd\u2014so definitely attending and maybe even presenting at national conferences. I\u2019d love to work up the nerve to present at NLHS\u2019 nursing research day one of these years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"