Burlington nurse honoured with hero award for professionalism, willingness to help

Julie Picott went back to school in her 40s to become a nurse because she wanted to make a difference.

She sure succeeded.

Picott, 57, is a front-line registered practical nurse at Acclaim Health, and earlier this month she was named a Home Care Hero, part of Home Care Ontario's More Home Care campaign. The award recognizes home care workers who go above and beyond to deliver outstanding care in every corner of this province. A total of 40 nurses, Personal Support Workers (PSWs), therapists, and other home care professionals were honoured with the awards to recognize their exceptional dedication to our seniors and patients across Ontario.

As a front-line nurse at Acclaim Health, she has a meaningful impact on people every time she goes to work.

A lifetime Burlington resident, Picott raised two children (now adults) and sees her mom, 90, who also lives here, on her own.

She started out with Acclaim in 2012, studying to become a PSW, but decided to go to Kitchener’s Conestoga College in 2017 to study nursing.

It wasn’t easy. At 47 years old, she said she managed the school work, but it required lots of studying.

Plus, it was a 45-minute drive, and the course continually got more difficult. “By the third semester I was ready to quit. If I remembered my locker combination, and where it is, I’ll do okay,” she figured at the time. But she admits she had a lot more energy back then.

“It was a big move,” she said, especially since she had already had a career in illustration and animation. She graduated from animation at Sheridan College in her 20s, and worked in that field for a few years before taking on freelance work on the side, while raising her children. Over the years she worked a few part-time jobs too.

“When I joined Acclaim Health, I wanted something a little more meaningful and stable,” said Picott, who graduated from M.M. Robinson High School and was a member of the Burlington Teen Tour Band, playing saxophone. “I didn’t really have credentials for a lot of other jobs, computer animation was a whole different world.”

As a PSW, she realized she really enjoyed working with people and she enjoyed seeing them in a “more real light.” She continued to work part-time as a PSW for Acclaim, and was able to pick up shifts part-time and throughout the summers, as she studied to become a nurse.

She also needed more stimulation and since she’d always been interested in sciences, nursing was something that she always considered.

She recalls one day when she had an appointment set up with a Campbellville client, and she showed up at their house. They asked her about her 10 a.m. exam that she had previously told them about, and they wondered how she would get to it on time since it was already 9:30 a.m.

“I got there 15 minutes late, and they wouldn’t let me do the exam,” she laughed. Fortunately, they allowed her to write a make-up exam, which she got docked 40 per cent of her mark for. Good thing she was clever – she managed to pass despite all the obstacles. “At least I had another week or so to study for that.”

Upon graduating she went on to take an eight-week course in palliative nursing care, learning about people and the philosophy behind palliative care, pain control and symptom management.

“It’s an important course to take and it gives you a lot of confidence to know what to look for and to assess how someone is doing whether they’re in pain, there’s a lot that can go on.”

These days, she’s full-time, taking care of clients across the Region. During COVID, she said it was stressful, but she knows her work had meaning and impact to so many people, especially the family members of people she cared for. Still, it meant 10-hour days and constant masking.

A coworker had nothing but praise for Picott and said managers often say “ they wish they could clone her.”

“Julie started with us as a PSW and worked her way through nursing school to become an RPN. Upon graduating, Julie worked hard to continue learning and obtained certification through CAPCE in Palliative Nursing. In her short time as a palliative nurse, Julie has become much loved by her patients not only because of her knowledge but also because she focuses on spending time with her patients and their caregivers providing in depth teaching, guidance and support.

“Julie is always ready to help out our agency, picking up extra shifts, doing extra on calls and even donating much needed supplies for teaching. She is courageous and vigilant and always willing to help. Julie's professionalism and caring nature exemplify what it means to be a nurse and colleague and I cannot say enough about her as a person or a nurse.”

Picott says she has heard the cloning phrase, adding: “I wish I could clone myself too. I think we all wish we could clone ourselves.”

Humble and down to earth, Picott said she gives clients a lot of her time – that’s just the way she operates. “I think that’s where the praise comes from.”

“It’s a fine line you have to draw with patients,” said Picott, who said she has had some for as long as three years. “They touch your heart.

“I feel this was what I was meant to do. It can be stressful and you worry about things but when I look at the whole picture, I think I’m doing the right thing.”

Most people, her clients most importantly, think the same. She's well-loved by her patients and exemplifies every day what it means to be a nurse.