Nursing grad proves there’s more than one path to career success
Registered nurse advances career with a goal of working in remote, Indigenous communities
Alison Babiak (Post-LPN Bachelor of Nursing ’24) is proof that there’s more than one path to a successful career.
Fresh out of high school, she wanted to pursue a career as a registered nurse. Raised in Whitecourt, Alta., and a member of Driftpile Cree Nation, she worried her high-school marks would hold her back—especially if she wanted to pursue a specialty like psychiatric nursing.
So at the encouragement of her mother, Babiak instead enrolled in a licensed practical nurse (LPN) diploma program at Bow Valley College in Calgary. A nursing degree was still the long-term goal, she was just on a less direct path.
“Going for an LPN opens up a few more doors,” she explained.
Continuing education while working full time
After graduating from the two-year program in 2018 and working as a nurse in Calgary for about seven years, Babiak felt like the time was right to revisit her dream of becoming a registered nurse (RN). By that point, she had accumulated about 1,700 hours of experience working in nursing specialities such as palliative home care, pain management, and addictions.
Athabasca University’s Post-LPN Bachelor of Nursing program just made sense for where she was at in her career. It allowed her to continue working full time while she readjusted to university life and took courses part time as her scheduled allowed.
I knew that the path I wanted to continue on to my RN. I wanted the degree—that was something that I wanted for myself.
A passion for remote and Indigenous communities
Thanks to funding support from Driftpile Cree Nation, Babiak was able to flip her schedule and focus on studies full time while taking on casual part-time shifts at work.
“I’ve been really, really grateful and thankful for their support throughout, the five years that I’ve been doing my post-LPN bachelor’s with Athabasca University.”
As Babiak progressed in her studies, she did a lot of research on working with Indigenous populations and the types of health-care needs of communities, especially in remote and rural areas. It’s an area of focus in which she could see herself working in the future.
Having an Indigenous background into knowing that the struggles that why have gone through, for me I’ve always wanted to do my part and help where I can.
Finding her passion in nursing
AU not only made it possible to pursue a dream of becoming a registered nurse, she learned a lot about herself and what motivates her, including areas of speciality. One of her clinical placements focused on mental health and that has led to a casual position in Calgary. Now, she focuses on building on her experience in acute care so she can eventually pursue opportunities in remote and Indigenous communities.
Judging by her journey so far, the lifelong learning and self-discovery will continue.
“I feel a lot more confident, especially in my leadership skills,” she said. “Going through this program has helped define what career path I want to take, and it’s helped me identify where my skills are and where my strong suits are. I really know what type of nurse I want to be.”
