As people across the country gather to celebrate Canada Day, Southlake Health is proud to welcome Emma Cantle, a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Nursing Officer, who will be training at Southlake for the next seven months. This journey with Emma and the incredible team supporting her reflects the values at the heart of this holiday – pride for the nation, gratitude for service, and a deep commitment to the communities around us.
Emma is a newly graduated nurse and a member of the CAF. To help her successfully transition from new nursing graduate to independent practice, Emma is completing her Nursing Clinical Phase Training with the Surgical Program at Southlake. Over the seven months, she will rotate through the surgical program, developing core nursing competencies with the support of her Southlake mentor, Julie Hoang, a registered nurse in the surgical program. Emma will also participate in virtual workshops, simulation exercises, and regular mentorship with a military nurse advisor.
For Emma, this is a bit of a homecoming, having previously worked at Southlake as a nursing extern. Now, she returns in uniform to take the next step in her nursing journey and service to country.
“Coming back to Southlake feels incredibly special,” said Cantle. “This hospital shaped so much of my early learning, and I feel privileged to continue growing in a place that feels like home.”
Programs like this are only possible because of the dedicated team at Southlake. It started with Susan King, Southlake’s Professional Practice Lead, who worked closely with the Professional Practice team to bring this opportunity to Southlake. Along the way, Aliaksandra Panasik, Manager, Inpatient Surgery and Surgical Step-Down Unit, Heather Foti, a Nurse Educator, and Julie Hoang worked closely with Susan to ensure that the surgical program could support this training opportunity. Emma is the third CAF nurse Southlake has helped train.
“Supporting CAF nursing training is one of the special ways Southlake is able to give back,” said King. “This opportunity is about service and we’re proud to support men and women, like Emma, who serve, who care, and who build stronger communities in uniform.
From all of us at Southlake: Happy Canada Day!
Emma Cantle (right), a Canadian Armed Forces Nursing Officer, stands with Heather Foti (left), a nurse educator at Southlake Health. Emma will be training at Southlake over the next seven months as part of her clinical placement.
