Meeting the needs of her community was a driving force for 2025 Derrick Rowlandson Memorial Award winner
Michelle Purdy-Hemmons always wanted to be a registered nurse (RN)—and she’s grateful for the opportunity to follow that dream from her hometown of Athabasca, Alta.
She began her career as an emergency medical technician (EMT) but quickly transitioned into nursing and has been a licensed practical nurse (LPN) since 2005. Over the years, her family and responsibilities grew, but her aspiration to advance her career as a nurse persisted. In September 2024, she started making her dream a reality when she began the online Post-LPN Bachelor of Nursing degree program at Athabasca University.
Recent research about nursing staffing shortages shows RNs are in high demand—especially in rural communities. With a bit more time and a few more tools in her toolbox, Purdy-Hemmons says there’s never been a better or more crucial time to pursue her goal—for herself or her community of Athabasca.
2025 Derrick Rowlandson Memorial Award
Community involvement is incredibly important to Purdy-Hemmons and played a significant role in her selection as AU’s 2025 Derrick Rowlandson Memorial Award winner.This award is given annually to a past graduate of Edwin Parr Composite School (EPC) who contributes to the betterment of their community through volunteerism or active participation.
This is my home, my community, and this award is targeted very specifically to an EPC graduate and with community involvement. So to have recognition for that as well as receive financial support with my studies is huge.
Over the last 13 years, she has been part of numerous fundraising committees and school council boards in Athabasca, and has been a board member on Edwin Parr’s fundraising committee for the last five years.
While she was involved part of the fundraising committee for Whispering Hills School and Landing Trail School, they were able to raise enough money to create beautiful playground structures at the schools.
At EPC, they are presently contributing to a new track and field track as well as providing provide funding for various field trips for students.
Creating opportunities for youth within the community
Every year, Purdy-Hemmons and some of her coworkers at the Athabasca Healthcare Centre get the opportunity to interact with students at the high school’s rural health-care skills day.
The event allows students to learn about health-care professions by talking to Athabasca-based doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, emergency medical technicians, and other health-care providers. The event includes skill demonstrations and a panel talk where students can ask questions about health-care careers in rural communities.
“We have them doing hands-on things like injection stations where they actually get to practise on a rubber muscle or an orange. It’s a really cool experience for them.”
Watching her daughter and friends experience the skills day for the first time made the experience even more meaningful for Purdy-Hemmons.
You get to see these kids in the community and they'll ask me follow up questions or different things. So being in a small town, you get to know these kids and continue those interactions later on.
Looking forward to broadening her horizons
According to Purdy-Hemmons, there aren’t many opportunities for nurses to specialize in specific areas of practice in a small town. That’s why she’s looking forward to upcoming clinical placements, a requirement of her Post-LPN Bachelor of Nursing, and the opportunity to expand her knowledge. While she might not be able to specialize full time in a specific nursing discipline, that enhanced knowledge will still serve her—and her patients in Athabasca—for years to come.“I'm hoping to be able to do my clinical placements in a more highly specialized or specific unit to then bring back a more solid confidence and learning of a different area that we wouldn't necessarily see a lot of here.”
Thriving while living, working, and studying in Athabasca
While working on her degree, she said she’s grateful to be able to live, work, and learn from her home community of Athabasca, where she plans to stay once she becomes an RN.“AU has made it feasible to have a work-life balance, continue working part-time, be home with my family, and still reside in the community,” she said. “It wouldn't be feasible for me to relocate and go to school in another location at this time.”
When asked how she balances it all, Purdy-Hemmons had some simple but impactful advice.
“Even when it's hard, even when you don't want to do it, find a way to keep learning and keep making it work.”