Kwantlen Polytechnic University nursing instructor Dr. Balbir Gurm has been inducted into the Canadian Nurses Association’s Canadian Academy of Nursing Fellowship. The Canadian Academy of Nursing Fellowship Program celebrates the most accomplished nurses in Canada.
“It is a tremendous honour to be selected by the Canadian Academy of Nursing into the fellowship program with such amazing fellows from across Canada,” says Gurm. “As the first nurse of Indian Punjabi descent selected for this tremendous honour, I feel privileged to be among the nation’s leading minds in nursing.”
The recognition is the highest honour for a registered nurse and comes with added responsibilities, which Gurm is excited to take on, such as advocating for policy development at the national level to amplify the voice of the nursing community and the South Asian community.
For Gurm, whose other achievements include founding the Network to Eliminate Violence in Relationships (NEVR), this is the latest acknowledgement of her impact both as a nurse and as a South Asian woman. A friend of Gurm’s pushed her to apply, saying she met the criteria and to serve as a representative and role model for the South Asian community.
“Over the years I have been told by students that went into nursing that they saw me as a role model,” says Gurm, a former admissions chair for the Bachelor of Science of Nursing program at KPU.
“I try to practice what I teach so that I can set an example of how nurses can influence healthcare and I hope to motivate nurses to shatter glass ceilings and take on leadership and advocacy roles in health,” adds Gurm.
“My driving force has always been and continues to be social justice, equity in healthcare for all people.”
Currently, as a researcher, Gurm is involved in several studies related to relationships, violence and social isolation. And, as a teacher, Gurm is showing students the professional and practice standards of nursing in preparation for their new careers.