Meet Cecille Paz y Banez, registered nurse, St. Mary’s Hospital, Camrose
January 30, 2025
By Carla Howatt, senior communications advisor
For Cecille Paz y Banez, a registered nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in Camrose, joining Covenant Health just made sense.
“I was raised Catholic and felt that the compassion and respect (I was taught) aligns with Covenant health's core values,” she says.
Prior to coming to St. Mary's, Cecille had been living and working for five years in the Toronto area, where she was the quality assurance and process lead for the Wait Times Information System at Mount Sinai Hospital. She completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing in Cebu, Philippines, graduating in 2011 with a background in women’s health and advanced reproductive technology.
When Cecille came across a Covenant Health recruitment booth at a Toronto job fair, she and her family were already considering a move to Alberta due to the high cost of living in Toronto. One year and five months later, Cecille considers her visit to the booth fortunate.
"I absolutely love working in unit 4 (at St. Mary’s). I was very anxious to join knowing I was out of practice for about 12 years, but I felt the support from my manager and colleagues from the very beginning. They were very welcoming and have never let me feel that I do not belong to the team."
Registered nurse, St. Mary's Hospital
Cecille also says she is grateful for the resources made available to her, such as the clinical educator for internationally educated nurses, whom she has found to be a great mentor, and the week-long orientation for domestic internationally educated nurses provided in Edmonton. And she appreciates that there are always opportunities to learn and grow at the hospital.
Adapting to life in rural Alberta has been easy for her and her husband, Cecille says. Camrose is the perfect place to start their family. And after moving around different countries for 10 years, she feels they have finally settled down.
“It is a town that is small but big enough for us. We feel safe and enjoy the perks of living in a small town. The close proximity to the bigger cities is also a bonus.”
While Cecille acknowledges that moving to rural Alberta was a risk and a big step for her and her family, she would recommend it to anyone. The move was a growth experience for her, both personally and professionally.
“You will never know what you are capable of until you try it and just let things flow on their own,” she says. “I like to remind myself that I still have a long way to go, but I have come a long way.”