Meet Taylor Le, Registered Nurse at Michael Garron Hospital

Tell us about yourself!

Hi, my name is Taylor and I am a Registered Nurse (RN) at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH). I first joined as a clinical extern in 2018. I currently work as a clinical educator with the Medicine Department.

What motivated you to join MGH?

I began working as a clinical extern at MGH during my third year of nursing school. I was fortunate to have a great preceptor, Maria Janes, who provided me with extensive clinical knowledge about providing patient-oriented care.

I immediately felt a culture of belonging and community at MGH. I knew I wanted to begin my nursing career here because of the culture and my amazing colleagues.

What types of learning, mentorship or professional development opportunities have you had the opportunity to pursue since joining MGH?

Since my first day as an RN at MGH, I have had the honour of working with exceptional nurses who possess remarkable leadership, ethics, empathy and clinical proficiency. During my time here, many nurses have given me advice, assistance and encouragement which have shaped me into the nurse that I am today. These mentors not only emphasized the significance of being a great team player, but also motivated me to explore opportunities within the hospital that I would not have considered otherwise.

In particular, the experienced nurses in MGH’s Medicine Unit have influenced me profoundly as a nurse. I am forever grateful for their guidance and support, which helped me cultivate vital nursing skills and clinical judgment while emphasizing the importance of patient- and family-centered care.

I still receive guidance from strong nurse leaders at MGH, who have provided me with a safe and welcoming space to thrive and evolve.

I have also taken part in the following education opportunities:

• Workplace Violence Prevention Workshop
• Preceptor Workshop
• Emotional Intelligence Workshop

Can you share your career path at MGH?

2018: I was looking for an opportunity to apply and enhance my nursing knowledge outside of nursing school. I was thrilled to begin my clinical externship at MGH and was honoured to have been chosen for such a unique and exciting opportunity. During my time here, I worked alongside exceptional nurses who served as strong leaders and held themselves to high standards for patient care. I gained valuable knowledge and experience from these nurses.

2019: I completed my consolidation placement in the Child and Youth Mental Health Unit, where I developed a broad range of nursing skills and provided compassionate care for patients facing challenging social determinants and mental illnesses.

The summer after I graduated from nursing school, I applied for another clinical extern position and was fortunate to be chosen to be placed with the Medicine Unit again. This opportunity really helped me prepare for my licensing exam as I applied my knowledge to real life scenarios. It helped me jumpstart my career as an RN.

After successfully passing my licensing exam in the fall, I began working as an RN in the Medicine Unit and continued to learn from highly experienced nurses. I later took on the role of Team Lead and Charge Nurse. In this role, I helped cultivate a high-performing team and was a clinical resource for my colleagues.

2023: I was initially hesitant to apply for a leadership role as a clinical educator, fearing it would take me away from my passion of patient care. However, I ended up relishing the opportunity to support new hires on medicine units and have seen significant growth and development as a result.

As a nurse, I am truly passionate about my job. The clinical educator role not only allows me to develop my skills and work alongside like-minded individuals, but also lets me help others develop their clinical judgement and skills to become more confident in their clinical practice.

What motivates or inspires you?

I was born and raised in Vietnam. As a result of my upbringing and cultural background, I possess a dedication to helping others for the purpose of attaining a higher and more worthwhile goal.

Vietnam’s extensive history and cultural heritage has fostered a work culture that prioritizes diligent effort, persistence and respect. I am inspired by my country’s culture of commitment to education and constant pursuit of knowledge to enhance personal abilities.

Collaborating with colleagues and being a member of a supportive work community brings me great satisfaction. As a nurse, I appreciate how we work together to distribute tasks. I am motivated to be a reliable team player and a dependable support system who can provide assistance to others.

Observing the dedication of nurses and the allied health team in delivering excellent, patient- and family-centered care, both in clinical and leadership roles, has been a significant motivator and source of inspiration for me. It's a great pleasure to support others in their pursuit of providing high-quality care.

If you could share one memorable moment from your time at MGH, what stands out to you?

Throughout my time at MGH, I have experienced an immense amount of professional and personal growth. Rather than pinpointing a single memorable moment, I would like to emphasize a significant period of time.

When the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020, my unit transitioned to become a COVID-19 unit. Working in this unit was a deeply emotional experience. Fear was a prevalent emotion during this time. There were multiple practice changes as we navigated the pandemic. I will never forget the sight of my colleagues working tirelessly in the overcrowded unit to provide care for many critically ill patients.

Despite the mounting pressure and workload, the exceptional collaboration and teamwork among all staff enabled us to provide the best possible care to each patient.

The overwhelmingly positive support we felt from the community during this time was also so memorable. This support helped cheer us on as we navigated this challenging period of time.