Shyane McKay (BSc'18) spent her summer assisting researchers with improving the lives of elderly people. She received the 2018 Summer Studentship Award from the Canadian Frailty Network and the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation.
The national competition provides students with interdisciplinary summer experiences that allow them to gain an understanding of the health and social work environment for Canada’s older adults living with family.
McKay, a fourth-year nursing student and research assistant at UNB’s Saint John campus, worked with an established research team at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Saint John, N.B., which is helping senior citizens who have suffered falls in hospitals. Throughout the summer, she reviewed past research, examined data, and delved further into the team’s findings.
“My interest in frailty among older adults began during the first year of my nursing degree, as I had the opportunity to be placed at a nursing home," says McKay. "It allowed me to appreciate the complexity of caring for older adults as well as the impact nurses have on their lives.”
The Canadian Frailty Network’s mission is to improve the lives of older adults who are living with frailty and provide them with the highest quality care. The Canadian Frailty Network and the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation collaborated to fund two New Brunswick students with $4,000 each and provide them with summer work terms working with frail senior citizens. McKay was one of 10 award recipients from across Canada.
She was given the opportunity to be part of group discussions regarding Horizon Health research projects and, as part of her award, she participated in Canadian Frailty Network webinars and discussion boards. McKay also travelled to Toronto in September, where she presented an abstract and poster board displaying her findings at the Frailty Matters Innovation Showcase.
“I will be graduating with my nursing degree in May 2019 and would love to pursue a career that involves improving the lives of older adults,” says McKay.
