Drawing on 16 years of nursing experience, Chinyere Asagwara brings calm, clarity, and mentorship to one of HSC’s most high-pressure departments.
Chinyere Asagwara is a Clinical Resource Nurse Mentor in HSC’s Adult Emergency Department.
With sixteen years of nursing experience, Chinyere Asagwara is more than a steady hand in the storm—she’s a trusted leader and source of strength in HSC’s Adult Emergency Department (AED).
Asagwara’s interest in nursing began in university when her mom suggested she explore the profession after finding herself uninspired midway through a science degree. Following completion of the science degree, she began to study nursing and immediately felt that she had found her calling.
After graduating as the valedictorian from the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Manitoba, she launched her career at HSC in 2009 on GB3, the cardiac medicine and day surgery unit, where she honed her clinical skills and deepened her compassion for patients. After six years, her journey led her to the AED, where she worked for seven years. Two years in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit followed, but the AED kept calling her back.
“I’ve enjoyed working in many different areas at HSC, but the AED is close to my heart. You learn so much and you can support a lot of different people in a lot of different ways,” she says.
As a Clinical Resource Nurse Mentor, Chinyere Asagwara is responsible for mentoring and teaching all nursing staff, assisting with patient flow on the unit, and ensuring all staff are well supported.
Today, Asagwara continues to work in HSC’s AED as a Clinical Resource Nurse (CRN) Mentor. HSC’s AED sees more than 60,000 patient visits annually, and is the only Level 1 Trauma Centre, and the only designated stroke centre in the province. As a CRN Mentor inside the controlled chaos of emergency care, Asagwara is both a conductor and a calming presence—maintaining patient flow, easing backlogs, assisting with patient care, and providing staff support and teaching where needed.
“There are often sections of the AED that are working short staffed, which can be very stressful, especially for a junior nurse. If they get behind, that is where I can jump in,” says Asagwara. “The environment can be very chaotic and stressful, but it is also very supportive.”
As a mentor, Asagwara is more than a teacher—she’s a guide, a cheerleader, and a lifeline.
“Getting to support the junior staff and seeing how they grasp concepts, how they appreciate what they’re learning, how they’re so eager to be better—it’s awesome and I really love it,” she says.
As a mentor, Chinyere Asagwara provides support and teaching for the other nurses in HSC’s AED.
But even as she builds up those around her, Asagwara doesn’t shy away from hard truths. She’s candid about the pressure HSC’s AED staff face.
“The frontline staff are doing the best they can with what they have and are advocating for patients and staff every day, all day long. Unfortunately, the reality is that there are systemic issues here that are beyond the frontline staff’s ability to change.”
With 16 years of nursing experience, Chinyere Asagwara is a source of knowledge and calm for her fellow emergency room nurses.
Still, in the middle of it all, Asagwara passionately believes in the place she’s called home for her entire career.
“If any one of my family members were in distress, I would tell them to go to HSC. I trust my staff. I trust the doctors who work here. I feel very confident in the level of care that we provide,” she says.
Over the course of her career, Asagwara has been recognized for her standout contributions with a Rising Star Award from the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba, and an HSC Nursing Excellence award. Additionally, she has previously been a clinical nurse instructor for Red River College nursing students, and a nurse facilitator at the University of Manitoba’s medical simulation labs. Fuelled by purpose and unflinching in the face of adversity, she is an anchoring force in HSC’s AED—mentoring the next generation of nurses, advocating for her patients, and showing up every day with compassion and resolve.
To honour a nurse at HSC this National Nursing Week, please make a tribute gift to the HSC Foundation today at hscfoundation.mb.ca or call 204-515-5612 or 1-800-679-8493 (toll-free).
Read the rest of our National Nursing Week 2025 stories here.
By Jen Golletz
