Tammy Turner

What education have you taken?

I am graduating in June 2012, with a Baccalaureate of Nursing.

What accomplishments are your proud of?

I have been on the Dean’s Honour List for two years, have been nominated for the Golden Key International Honour Society and numerous awards, and have just received the Dorothy E. Stewart Memorial Bursary in Health Studies. My volunteer work is a huge part of my everyday life and future nursing practice. I am a La Leche League (LLL) leader in Brandon, which is a non-profit organization. I volunteer my time as a peer counsellor, helping mothers with breastfeeding through meetings and telephone help. I have been involved for 11 years, accredited as a leader for almost five years, organizer for the local annual fundraising walk and potluck that has earned us the top fundraising LLL group across Canada numerous times. My passion for helping mothers breastfeed has encouraged me to become a lactation consultant, for which I received certification and title of International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2010. I currently sit on the board for the Aboriginal Breastfeeding Committee and the Breastfeeding Conference Planning Committee with Brandon RHA’s Public Health.

Tell me about yourself / your background / your history.

Besides the above detail of my involvement with LLL, I was born and raised in Brandon and have previous experience as a kitchen manager in numerous restaurants in Brandon, Calgary, and Edmonton. I’ve been with my high school sweetheart, Bobby Turner for almost 19 years and married for 12 1/2 years. We have three wonderful children: Raya is 11, Kaden is 8 and Ella is 4. We have a rental property in Brandon and moved to an acreage 2 1/2 years ago. We are all animal lovers, with the intention to have horses for our children and raise animals for the family table. We have raised a handful of pigs so far and intend to raise pigs and chickens this spring. We have twp dogs that are like our children, numerous house and barn cats, a gecko, and guinea pig.

How did you become interested in your field of study?

I first became interested in nursing after a few major life changes occurred. I had my second child with midwives at my home and realized that I wanted to become a midwife. This was a difficult dream as there are few schools for midwifery and they are not located around Brandon, so I kept that thought in the back of my mind.  Then, I helped take care of my mother when she was dying of cancer in 2006. She chose to die at home and I was touched by the consideration my dad and I received from an amazing home care nurse, while she treated my mother. She was the most compassionate person I ever met and I never forgot her care. I was already very compassionate towards helping mothers and babies breastfeed through LLL before these events that lead up to my nursing degree. I then took a temporary position on the maternity ward in 2007 as a health care aide and quickly realized that I would be able to help mothers through labour, delivery, and breastfeeding — as a maternity nurse.  I started the process in the summer of 2007, while I was almost seven months pregnant with my last child.

What is your philosophy in life?

My philosophy is to be kind, caring, compassionate and help any person or animal that needs anything I could help with. I think that is why I am very involved with helping mothers breastfeed. I breastfed my own children and met wonderful families through LLL. Most of my best friends that I can count on or can count on me for anything, I met at LLL. I also try not to get involved with negative attitudes and I also try to live with a positive look on life as I raise my children.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I would love to work as the lactation consultant in Brandon at the BRHC or at the very least as a maternity nurse. This way, I am around women and families that I have a passion for helping have a positive birth and/or breastfeeding experience. I can also see myself as making changes happen, maybe influencing the way people think about breastfeeding and its importance for babies into adulthood. I could see myself doing this through research or seminar presentations at maternal-child or breastfeeding conferences.

Nominator’s Comments:

Tammy is in her final year of the Bachelor of Nursing Program. Her amazing work ethic and devotion to the program has placed her on the Dean’s Honor list in 2009 and 2010.

Following her Mom’s death, Tammy went into nursing with a goal of promoting lactation and to someday become a midwife. Tammy’s dream is becoming a reality. She is very proud to be certified as a Lactation Consultant. She will complete her final practicum on Single Room Maternity in the spring.

Tammy is an involved mom of three children, two in school and one pre-school age. Tammy and her family live on an acreage outside of Brandon. Along with her husband, they own and manage rental property in Brandon.  Somehow, Tammy is able to find balance with positive results and continue to passionately achieve her goals.

Tammy is one of those people that when you meet her you will always remember her. She loves to be with people and wants to make a difference!