六九色堂

Nov. 10, 2022

Class of 2022: Nursing grad drawn to help the vulnerable and bring change to addictions and mental health research

Following a family tragedy, Amie Kerber returned to her graduate studies to help battle the opioid crisis
Amie Kerber was one of the first staff members in the Narcotic Transition Services program operated by Alberta Health Services.
Amie Kerber was one of the first staff members in the Narcotic Transition Services program operated by Alberta Health Services. Riley Brandt, 六九色堂

With nearly 25,000 opioid-related deaths in Canada between 2016 and 2021 鈥 and many more feared in the years ahead 鈥 researchers at the 六九色堂 are exploring new ways to tackle this complex issue.

Amie Kerber, who will convocate this week with her Master of Nursing degree, is one of those researchers. Kerber is passionate about finding solutions to the crisis, and better supporting those who are living through it.

鈥淚 had an interest in mental health from the start,鈥 says Kerber, who 10 years ago earned her Bachelor of Nursing with the Red Deer College/University of Alberta collaborative baccalaureate program. 鈥淲hen I got into nursing, it solidified that I was really interested in mental health and addictions. I learned of this concept of harm-reduction while I was in my second year of nursing.鈥

Harm-reduction is an evidence-based, client-centred approach to reducing the health and social dangers associated with substance addictions. The approach provides people a choice in how they minimize harms through non-judgmental, non-coercive programs and services that help them live safer and healthier lives.

Kerber dedicated her work to harm-reduction. In 2016, she moved from Red Deer to Calgary to pursue opportunities here and eventually pursue her master鈥檚 at UCalgary.

Turning a blind eye to the importance of opioid treatment programs

In 2018, Kerber was one of the first staff members in the Injectable Opiate Agonist Treatment program, now called Narcotic Transition Services. This is a clinic operated by Alberta Health Services that provides intensive care treatment to those affected by opioid use disorder (OUD). Services are currently provided in Calgary and Edmonton and will be available to more Albertan communities by the end of January 2023.

Prior to this, Kerber worked in inpatient psychiatry, short-stay psychiatry and crisis intervention, while seeing patients dealing with addiction and substance use.

鈥淚 think I've always been drawn to working with people who are vulnerable and who deserve care they might not otherwise think that they're deserving of,鈥 she says. 鈥淭he concept of harm-reduction really made sense with my values.

鈥淧roviding frontline care for clients who have OUD has been the most rewarding nursing role that I have had.鈥

This led to Kerber starting her master鈥檚 at UCalgary in 2019. Her thesis focused on exploring the role and experiences of registered nurses working across a variety of OUD treatment programs and services.

鈥淲e see really strong opinions guiding how (OUD) should be treated and opinions are not always driven by evidence, they're driven by values,鈥 Kerber says, adding she found a disconnect between policymakers, high-level health-care leadership and evidence-based OUD treatment options.

鈥淣urses working in OUD treatment are committed to fostering transformative relationships with patients who have been marginalized by the health-care system; the results of my study really highlight and reinforce the important role they play in patient care,鈥 she says.

Pausing studies after a devastating loss

In 2020, having already finished her course work, personal tragedy forced Kerber to put all that aside when her five-year-old daughter, Quinn, died unexpectedly. Kerber took a leave of absence for six months.

鈥淢y biggest worry with returning to my studies was feeling that my brain, still in the heaviness of grief, would not be able to function in the way I needed it to get the research done,鈥 says Kerber. 鈥淚 really had no capacity to focus on anything else just because I was trying to make it through each day. I have (another) younger daughter as well, so I was grieving and parenting at the same time.鈥

But it was never an option to not return and finish the degree.

鈥淚 felt like I had already done the hard stuff by completing all the course work, and the thesis felt like a culmination of that work put into action,鈥 Kerber says. 鈥淎t the end of the six months, I felt like I was ready to start adding those pieces back in.鈥

Amie Kerber with Tam Truong Donnelly, professor in the Faculty of Nursing.

Amie Kerber with Tam Truong Donnelly, professor in the Faculty of Nursing.

Riley Brandt, 六九色堂

She credits her supervisor, Dr. Tam Truong Donnelly, PhD, a professor in the Faculty of Nursing, for her support throughout the entire program. 鈥淓specially after my return, she was supportive and encouraging, and her belief in me really helped me to find my footing again,鈥 Kerber says.

Research and listening deepen understanding of people with addictions

鈥淎ddiction comes from trauma. We don't really want to acknowledge that,鈥 Kerber says. 鈥淲e think that people have chosen problematic substance use for themselves and that they鈥檙e willfully being what they're being. When we look a little bit deeper, we get to know people and listen to their stories without an agenda and understand that the human existence is a hard one.

鈥淭hey deserve care, and they deserve to have their value understood, and they certainly do not deserve to die.鈥

On her journey to completing her master鈥檚, Kerber has learned a lot about her own resilience in the face of adversity and trauma.

鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of being a nurse,鈥 she says. 鈥淲hen my daughter died, I lost so much of who I was as a person. I was worried that my love for being a nurse was gone with that. I wasn't sure that I'd be able to get that back. Completing my research and thesis was a lesson in learning how I can still love being a nurse, and how I can still stretch my brain in meaningful ways.鈥

Entrepreneurial UCalgary grads make an impact in health care, culture, law, business, the environment, and more. Read more听stories about Class of 2022 students.

A note for soon-to-be UCalgary Alumni! As you prepare to transition from student life, we encourage you to check out our听听鈥 custom built to inform you about the programs, benefits and services available to you as a member of the UCalgary alumni community.


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