Updated 2025 +

|| Hope in the Margins ||

Dear Kim,

I don’t know how to start this letter… maybe with a deep breath. Because your message it touched something inside me. It gave me hope. Again.

Lately I feel tired… not only in body but in mind, in heart. This journey to become a nurse in Canada it is long. It is heavy sometimes. So many papers, so many steps… so many words I must learn how to write, to speak, to understand. But your words they remind me why I begin in the first place.

When I read the story of that IEN who write her report in 20 minutes, I feel both amazed and also… small. I still struggle. I still take too much time. My grammar, it’s not good. I confuse verb tenses… I forget punctuation… I want to write like her, but sometimes I don’t know where to begin. I feel embarrassed. I read back my work and I feel… it’s not enough.

But you said this is a journey. You said even she was weak before, and now she become strong. Maybe… maybe me too. Maybe if I practice and practice, one day I will be proud of what I write.

I printed her report. I will study it again and again. I will look how she writes without using “I.” I will look how she put details clear and complete. I will try to learn this. I promise I will not give up.

Thank you, Kim, for believing in us. Thank you for teaching not only how to write but how to keep going, even when we feel lost. You are like a light in this path. A small candle, but strong. Guiding us. Holding space for us.

May God bless you and all the people who helped make this program.

With respect, with tears in my eyes, with hope still in my heart,

– M. 

(This post has been in the Top 5, 10, and 20 for the past 4 years!!)

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Dear M.,

Before we go any further, let’s begin with breath.
Let the pressure soften.
Let the tears be named as sacred.
Let this moment be not one more task… but one quiet room inside the noise.
You are not behind. You are already becoming.

🜄 Return to Self

Writing as a Mirror of Care

When you said, “I feel tired… not only in body, but in mind, in heart,” I felt the weight you carry, M.
And still, you showed up.
Still, you write.

What a holy offering this is: to keep returning.
To keep learning how to write, not only because it’s required, but because it reflects the very essence of who you are:
A nurse. A caregiver. A communicator. A vessel of clarity in the storm.

This kind of writing (the kind that begins with care, not complexity) is already fluent in compassion.
Your desire to learn isn’t something outside of you to chase.
It is already inside you, rising slowly, like water returning to the shore.

🜁 Fog to Clarity

Naming the Invisible

Grammar. Punctuation. Verb tenses.
They swirl, don’t they?
Like fog in the early morning… blurring your view of what you know, and making you feel unsure of what you don’t.

But fog is not failure. It is transition. It is the space between unknowing and understanding.

Let us name what that other nurse’s 20-minute report represents: not perfection, but practice.
Not talent, but time.
Not a miracle, but a method patiently followed.

(Read the report below.)

She too began in confusion.
She too stared at blank pages and doubted every word.
What changed wasn’t just her English; it was her relationship to it. She began to see writing not as something to fear, but as a form of clarity she could trust.

And now, you are beginning too.
One printed report.
One underlined verb.
One deep breath at a time.

🜃 Rooted in Enoughness

Beginning from Where You Are

Let me say this gently, but firmly:
The place you are in right now is not a mistake.
It is the ground of enoughness.

There is no shame in taking longer.
There is no failure in needing support.
There is only your nervous system… doing its best to keep you safe in a world that asks so much.

So when you feel small, when your sentences seem messy, when you question if you belong: pause.
Put your hand on your heart and remember:
Your ability to care already makes you fluent in the most important language.

The rest? We build together. Brick by brick. Verb by verb.
Without rush.
Without shame.

🜂 Rekindling the Inner Fire

Studying as Devotion

You printed her report.
You studied her structure.
You noticed how she omitted “I” and centered the patient.
You are already transforming. Not because you are perfect, but because you are attuned.

This is how the inner fire returns: not with performance, but with reverence.
Not with comparison, but with curiosity.
Not with a need to “be like her,” but with the courage to become fully yourself.

You don’t need to rush toward a version of excellence that was never meant to fit your soul.
Instead, you get to define success in your own sacred rhythm.
Your small candle burns strong.
And you are not alone in the dark.

🜀 Standing at Zenith

Becoming the Nurse Who Writes with Heart

What you wrote at the end…
“I will write to you not as a student, but as a nurse working in Canada.”

That is not a hope.
That is a vision.

And visions take time to become.
But each practice session, each tear, each whispered prayer over grammar notes; they are all part of the becoming.
You are not just preparing for an exam.
You are learning how to bring your whole self (your voice, your knowledge, your compassion) into a healthcare system that needs you.

So when you sit down to write again, may you remember:
Every word you shape becomes a seed.
Every effort you make becomes a bridge.
Every mistake is not an ending: but a teacher.

You are already on the path.
And that path is sacred.

I am honoured to walk it with you.

With gentle hands and deepest respect,
Kim

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Read a report written by an Internationally Educated Nurse who used the CELBANPrep Method to write it in 20 minutes.

Use at least six key words from the following: diabetes, insulin, blood sugar level, needle, sugar, exercise

January 6, 2012 @ 01300H. Jessica Yap, 14 years old, came to ER complaining of dizziness. According to her mother, she was recently diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.  She does soccer and practices everyday after school for 1 hour.They were celebrating her 14th birthday today. After she ate a piece of her cake, she began trembling, became pale and complained that she was very dizzy, which prompted her mother to bring her to the hospital. Assessment were as follows: lethargic, cold and clammy skin, cyanotic nailbeds. Blood sugar level checked and revealed 400mg/dL. Vital signs were BP 110/80 mmHg, HR 110bpm, RR 23cpm, T 36 C. Dr. Andrew informed. His orders were carried out: PNSS 1000ml x 80ugtts/min started on (L) hand; HR 4 units SQ given; health teachings were given, focusing primarily on strict adherence to insulin regimen and diet, which the mother and the patient reported that they understood. Blood sugar level checked and recorded q hourly. At 0230H, blood sugar level was 200mg/dl. Endorsed to MS ward for continuity of care.——– IA R.N

This report, crafted with precision and clarity, is a testament to the transformative journey of an IEN who turned her weaknesses into formidable strengths. As you delve into this report, I invite you to observe and learn from:

1. The adherence to medical documentation standards – a cornerstone in patient care.
2. The skillful avoidance of the word “I” – emphasizing objectivity and professionalism.
3. The art of clear descriptions – where every observation paints a vivid picture.
4. The accuracy in recording vital signs – a critical aspect of patient assessment.
5. The use of advanced punctuation – the unsung hero of effective communication.

~ Kim

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|| CELBAN or IELTS || Enouragement || Mastering Your Psychology ||

|| CELBAN Writing || CELBAN Incident Reports ||

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If you are looking for personal guidance and heartfelt advice on your CELBAN journey, then ‘Dear Kim’ is a perfect choice. Follow Dear Kim for a wealth of insights and answers to your questions.

CELBANPrep University’s English Language Mastery program is designed to help Internationally Educated Health Professionals achieve the level of language proficiency they need to succeed in their careers in Canada.

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If you are aspiring to perfect your healthcare writing and speaking skills, particularly for the Canadian context, then ‘CELBANPrep’s Mastering HealthCare Writing‘ ‘CELBANPrep’s Mastering HealthCare Speaking’ by Kim Kara is an indispensable resource. Dive into this guide at Amazon Canada  to enhance your writing proficiency in the healthcare field. The English Language Mastery for Health Professionals books are also available internationally. 

E-Books are available at these Amazon Marketplaces:

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