EMMA BAKER (She/Her)

What brought you to KPU and your program of study?

When I first started studying at KPU, I didn’t plan on pursuing health sciences. I originally intended on pursuing a nursing degree however, something didn’t feel right inside me. I was trying to figure out what path felt right for me when a professor opened my eyes to the many possibilities within the health science field, especially the opportunity to gain meaningful, hands-on experience.

Can you briefly describe your current position and your main day to day responsibilities?

Currently, I am a Quality Lead, focussing on clinical quality and patient safety within a health authority. A primary role of mine is to facilitate the reviews of serious harms or deaths to patients to identify if there were any system level contributing factors that can be actioned. Ultimately, I work with local teams at acute sites and within the community to improve the quality of care and patient safety. The goal being to prevent these patient safety incidents from recurring again by implementing actionable items that target these system contributing factors.

Which skills, knowledge, or experiences from KPU have been most valuable in your career so far?

The ability to branch out and explore different niches within the health science realm allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of how what we learn in the classroom could be applied in the real world setting. Studying at KPU gave me the confidence to step into unfamiliar territory, discover my interest and develop practical skills.

What advice would you give current KPU students who want to build a successful career after graduation?

Always say yes to opportunities that present themselves to you. Social network as early as you can and start building strong relationship, relationships that will ultimately open many doors and possibilities for you in the future.