Mothers and daughters in nursing
Randa is one of many mothers paving the way in the nursing field, and is part of several mother-daughter duos working at Mackenzie Health.
Randa has been a nurse with Mackenzie Health since 2016. She worked in Orthopedics and General Surgery before transitioning to the role of Patient Flow Navigator, where she spent several years building her expertise. Further, Randa helped with the opening of Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital in Operations before transferring to Professional Practice as a Clinical Extern Mentor Coordinator/Clinical Facilitator.
Randa inspired her daughter Sophia to enter the nursing profession in 2019. Sophia is currently enrolled in the Registered Practical Nursing program at Seneca College and will be graduating in the spring. In addition to being a nursing student, Sophia is also a clinical extern at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital assigned to the Woman and Child program supporting our clinical teams in the Pediatrics unit and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Sophia had always been proud that her mother was a nurse and it made sense to pursue the same career. “I always held what she did in the highest respect,” says Sophia of her mother Randa. “I wanted to be just like her.”
Sophia always knew nursing was her calling. “I wanted to work in a Woman and Child program helping deliver babies – being part of another person’s most important moment in their life is the ultimate in service.”
The mother-daughter duo spend time in different nursing environments at Mackenzie Health, but they have similar nursing styles. Both are patient-oriented and compassionate, dedicated, and willing to go above and beyond to ensure our patients and their families receive exceptional health care.
Though Randa is a seasoned nurse and manages our clinical externs, there is much she admires about her daughter. “I admire absolutely everything about my daughter, Sophia,” says Randa. “She is kind, intelligent and devoted. Her good nature and empathy carry over into her nursing.”
When Sophia speaks of her mother, she is proud to highlight that she is a nurse and works at Mackenzie Health. “My mom is an incredible person. She sets an inspirational example and has taught me how to live a life of service and to make a difference in peoples lives - even in the most uncertain situations,” says Sophia. “Following in my mom’s footsteps, becoming a nurse, and getting to work at the same hospital as my mom means I get the opportunity to support patients, their families and our community in times of joy, as well as times of sadness.”
Randa and Sophia’s endearing mother-daughter bond has allowed for them to learn from each other, become stronger nurses, and help make a difference in the lives of our patients, their families and the communities we serve.