Welcome Hall Mission's Nurse Wins Excellence Award from McGill University

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Aug. 5, 2014) - It is with great pleasure that Cyril Morgan, CEO and Executive Director of Welcome Hall Mission announces that Jessica Sherman, R.N. has won the 2013-14 Ingram School of Nursing Award for Excellence in Preceptorship/Advising.

While most practitioners deal with the general population in a hospital setting, Nurse Sherman's clients are the homeless, living on the streets or in a shelter. The students under her supervision receive practical training in a much more unorthodox nursing environment, dealing with wound care, mental and physical health evaluations, general medical information, education and follow up.

In her transition from a Montreal teaching hospital to her role as a healthcare provider for Montreal's disenfranchised, Jessica quickly realized that homelessness had a different face than the one she expected. "I very quickly learned that the clients who were coming to see me at the shelters and the health-promoting presentations I facilitate were, in addition to destitute and unshaven older men, young people who need help dealing with addictions and mental health issues. Not only do my clients look like the usual cross-section of society, their life stories reveal a breadth of experiences and professions that took me by surprise. I love my work. It is a privilege to provide nursing care to individuals as they transition from the streets to living more autonomous, healthier lives."

Says CEO Morgan: "Jessica has been a model of dedication to helping the homeless and disadvantaged of our society through her work at Welcome Hall Mission. Her encouragement and professional ethics have an important impact on the overall wellbeing of each individual in need."

Welcome Hall Mission helps Montreal's most disadvantaged through its multiple services which provide constant, effective assistance to tens of thousands of men, women, children and teenagers. Across all programs, the common denominator is its commitment to supporting and giving hope to the most disadvantaged through concrete actions and effective solutions to build a better life and reintegrate into society.