ATHABASCA – Dr. Josephine Brown’s legacy is still discernible in Athabasca, with the annual $2,000 scholarship in her name just one way that the Town of Athabasca is keeping her memory alive.
At town council’s June 6 meeting, Coun. Edie Yuill, who chaired the Dr. Brown scholarship committee this year, presented Brittany Prebushewski, 23, with the award and praised her for her exceptional work ethic and dedication towards her education.
Prebushewski, who’s graduating from the University of Alberta’s nursing program this year, will be starting at the Westlock Healthcare Centre once she’s done.
“I always planned on staying rural,” said Prebushewski in a June 9 interview. “Part of what’s so cool about being a rural nurse is that you are doing everything. So for Westlock, we do maternity and labour and delivery wards, but it’s mostly acute care.”
Prebushewski had an early love for biology and anatomy, and with a parent that worked at the hospital in Athabasca, the seed was planted. From there it was just a matter of getting hired as a healthcare aide.
“I walked into the unit one day, asked for an interview saying that I wanted to be a nurse one day, and I wanted to get my foot in the door. I just wanted to see what it was all about, but I did get the job. I started in long-term care, and then for experience branched out to home care and community care,” she said.
That first interview took place when she was 16, but Prebushewski continued working as an aide throughout her undergraduate degree.
“Unfortunately, they don’t take credits or hours off of your degree requirements for working as an HCA,” noted Prebushewski, who took two years off after high school to work and save money for her program, an experience that she said helped her out in the long run.
“The experience was great for school, it helped tremendously. I already knew the foundations of patient care and had worked alongside nurses, so I knew what their role was in that setting. We do a small placement in the first year, and then in the second year we do a long-term placement where you basically learn all the stuff a healthcare aide does, so I was really comfortable with that and felt like I was a step ahead.”
Prebushewski said that winning the scholarship means a lot, especially at a time when healthcare workers are being asked to do more than they ever have been before.
“It’s amazing to be recognized for that. Nursing is a tough job especially now with the shortages. It’s nice to get acknowledgement and support for the community, and providing for the community as a nurse in a rural place.”
