Ingram School of Nursing hosts the Jeux des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec with panache and scores a third-place finish.
By all accounts, the 13th edition of the Jeux des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (JIIQ), hosted by McGill University’s Ingram School of Nursing (ISoN), was a phenomenal success.
Held January 16-17, the event began with a memorable Opening Ceremonies in which each team revealed their Disney-themed team name and mascot. The cheers emanating from the pumped-up crowd were music to the ears of second-year McGill master’s student Sheena Doyle, a member of the JIIQ Quebec-wide organizing committee, and third-year BScN student Sophie Bujold, captain of McGill’s “Snow White” team. “We put in so much time and effort for months leading up the Games, but it was all worth,” says Sheena, who had been a key player in leading the effort to revive the Games after they had been shelved for a few years due to COVID.
Prior to the official start of the Games, each team was required to demonstrate community building either through fundraising for a special project or volunteering. The McGill team visited CHSLD Val des Brises, where they sang Christmas carols to the residents. “Everyone on the team was touched by this experience,” Sophie reports.
This year, three CEGEPS and ten universities from across the province fielded teams of up to 20 students each. The Games opened on Friday evening with a dance competition, with each team performing an original dance that showcased their creativity and team spirit. “You could see the amount of work that went into choreographing and rehearsing these dances – they were amazing,” says Sheena.
In her welcoming remarks, Ingram School of Nursing Director Lynne McVey noted that McGill Nursing graduates serve as frontline nurses and at decision-making tables across Quebec, from the remote communities of Nunavik to the heart of Montreal, bringing skill, compassion and innovation wherever they go. “At the centre of everything we do is pride – pride in our profession, pride in our students and pride in the future we are building together. That same pride fuels the Jeux des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec.”
