Doreen Alexander

Doreen Noella Alexander believes her degrees equipped her to become a qualified nurse. She has worked in Healthcare for over thirty-five years in various roles. Some of these roles include:  being a manager, an educator, as a nursing instructor at Seneca College, and a bedside nurse, caring for some of the most vulnerable persons.

Doreen was born in Jamaica in the parish of Portland. She migrated to Canada as a teenager, where she spent her adult life and accomplished her academic education. She is a graduate of both George Brown College and Ryerson University.

Currently, she works as an Infection Control Practitioner (ICP) in which she had to do additional studies to obtain a Certification Board of Infection Control (CBIC) certificate. Her role as an ICP is designed to educate Healthcare providers to understand the principles of Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) to guide appropriate infection prevention practices.

She has mentored many nursing students as a preceptor during her nursing career and have worked with youths for years, encouraging, guiding and empowering them in community church programs. She volunteered for the Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario (SCAGO) for over ten years. Her roles included the following: Vice President, President, Outreach Coordinator, member of the Board of Directors and currently the Volunteer Manager.

Doreen has taken time out of her busy schedule to collaborate with physicians and other volunteers to take children living with Sickle Cell disease to camp, in support of Camp Jumoke organization where she utilizes her nursing skills. She takes pleasure in reaching out to the needs of others especially the youths and the elderly, often giving a helping hand when the need arise.

For the last two consecutive years, Doreen volunteered as a nurse, with the “Smiles Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, (GCP) Dental/Medical Mission team”. Her duties included, teaching and implementing infection prevention and control practices to avoid the transmission of  organisms,  by establishing the best possible environment to accommodate cleaning, reprocessing and sterilization of instruments. She also provided directions to the staff on how to apply good routine practices for the safety of the people they served and themselves. In 2019, a Certificate of Appreciation was proudly presented to Doreen by the Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Health, Social Security and International Business of Grenada for her humanitarian services, as a contribution towards the improvement of oral care for the people of Grenada.

She has always served on various committees in her local community church, providing support and leadership. She is currently a small group leader who helps to stimulate discussion with those who are not afraid to speak up, as well as encouraging the quiet ones to participate. Doreen also volunteers in the customer service reception area once per month representing the church and providing support in a variety of ways.

Doreen’s awards achieved during her years of volunteer include:

• Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario (SCAGO) long serving volunteer award of excellence in 2017.
• Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario (SCAGO) Heart Award for Compassion and Dedication to Sickle Cell Disease in 2011.

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Being a member of the team who advocated on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to have June 19th officially recognized as National Sickle Cell Day in Canada which became law in 2017.
• Serving as a nurse in various capacities, helping the sick, and being able to educate and inform the general public at large, on the need to be tested for the Sickle Cell Trait. Informing them on what the disease is all about and assisted in the preparation of seminars and conferences about the disease within the province of Ontario.
• Taking on the challenge of obtaining a 5 KM walk participating in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon to help raise awareness and funds for Sickle Cell Disease

WHAT IS YOUR BEST ADVICE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION?

To work hard and to stay focused on the goals before them and to never give up, no matter how challenging life may be. I would like them to know that they can accomplish anything they want in life no matter what others may have to say. To dream big and never shrink their dreams because of negative and discouraging feedback.

IF I WERE TO LIVE MY LIFE OVER AGAIN, WHAT WOULD I DO DIFFERENTLY?

I would not change much in the sense of my upbringing. I was truly blessed to have great grandparents in my life to keep me on the right track and to guide me along the way. However, if given the opportunity to do my career over, I would like to be a doctor to help make a difference in the nurturing and caring for the sick and most vulnerable.