Grandmother Irene, a co-founder of Minwaashin lodge celebrating 32 years of work there. She is an inter-generational survivor of the residential school system. her work at the lodge supports women survivors of lethal violence, assisting them with safety plans, stabilization, healing, and employment & education achievement.

Grandmother Irene is the keeper of the stories at Minwaashin’s sacred lodge which connects indigenous women to their culture, identity, and ways of being and empowerment.

The Co-Editors-in-Chief of QANE-AFI will present trends in nursing education scholarship and publications, concurrent issues in manuscript submissions and reviews, as well as future directions that are of interest to nursing education leaders. Discussion will be invited regarding emerging issues in the publication world and academic practices.

Jacinthe Pepin, inf., PhD, FCNEI, Co-Editor-in-Chief QANE-AFI

Jacinthe Pepin, inf., PhD (University of Rochester, NY), FCNEI, is Full Professor at the Faculty of Nursing, Université de Montréal. She held responsibilities including Secretary of Faculty and Professoriate Affairs (2020–2025), founding Director of the Center for Innovation in Nursing Education (2007-2020), and Associate Dean for Studies (2001–2007). She created and led until 2022 an interdisciplinary, interuniversity research team on health professionals’ education funded by Fonds de Recherche du Québec (2013–). Co-Editor-in-Chief since the creation in 2014 of Quality Advancement in Nursing Education-Avancées en formation infirmières, she contributed publications on the nursing discipline and on nursing education. In 2015, she received the CASN Pat Griffin Research Scholar Award/Grant for her work, for example: nurses’ competencies frameworks, co-construction with First Nations community nurses, knowledge mobilization, and educational program development. In 2025, she received the King Charles III Coronation Medal.

Dr. Susan Duncan RN, Phd, FCAN, Co-Editor-in-Chief QANE-AFI

Dr. Susan M. Duncan is Co-Editor-in-Chief and Professor Emerita, School of Nursing at the University of Victoria School of Nursing and former Director of the University of Victoria School of Nursing (2016-2021).

Susan has served on the governance boards of nursing and health organizations including the Canadian Nurses Association and the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (2 terms). She was a board member when the decision was taken to launch the journal in 2013. Over the past decade she has published and served as a reviewer for the journal.

Susan’s scholarship and research has focused on nursing education and leadership, public health nursing, Indigenous nursing education, nursing ethics, policy and the future of the nursing profession.

Susan received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (University of Alberta), Master of Science in Nursing (University of British Columbia) and PhD (Nursing) (University of Alberta).

This presentation will detail some of the most pressing challenges Canadian nurses across the career trajectory are currently facing and articulate the urgent need to situate these challenges in contemporary nursing classrooms. The presentation will explore ways of engaging students with these challenging realities through frank conversation, while re-envisioning classroom engagement with such content as an ethical imperative essential to the pursuit of critical pedagogy.

Kim McMillan, RN, PhD, CHPCN(C)/Inf, PhD, CHPCN(C), University of Ottawa

Kim McMillan is an Associate Professor in the school of nursing at the University of Ottawa. Kim teaches in both undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. Her clinical practice expertise is in pediatric hematology, oncology and palliative care. Her research explores how nurses’ experience and navigate their work environments, which are often highly relational, ethically complex and politically rife. Recently Kim has dedicated her research time to better understanding Canadian nurses’ mental health and psychological safety experiences and needs across the career trajectory, paying special attention to how gender shapes these experiences.

As healthcare systems evolve, nursing education must keep pace to ensure graduates are clinically competent, technologically fluent, and prepared to deliver safe, evidence-based care. This presentation examines how virtual simulation, virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) can transform nursing education by providing scalable, immersive, and equitable learning experiences. These tools bridge gaps in clinical placement availability, standardize learning outcomes, and strengthen critical competencies such as clinical judgment, communication, and decision-making.

Grounded in experiential learning and deliberate practice, virtual simulation and VR promote active, student-centered engagement within safe, repeatable environments. AI integration enhances learning through adaptive feedback, performance analytics, and personalized pathways that improve skill acquisition and retention.

The session will showcase practical strategies for curricular integration, faculty development, and infrastructure planning while addressing challenges including cost, access, readiness, and ethical considerations such as algorithmic bias and data privacy. Policy recommendations will emphasize national standards, accreditation frameworks, and equity-focused strategies to support sustainable adoption across nursing programs.

By aligning pedagogy with emerging technologies, this presentation demonstrates how AI-enhanced simulation and VR can future-proof nursing education while maintaining a focus on compassionate, person-centered care.

Dr. Jane Tyerman, RN, PhD, CCSNE is an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa and Adjunct Professor at Queen’s University. With over 25 years of clinical practice and 15 years advancing simulation-based pedagogy, she is recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in nursing education research. Her program of research focuses on the design, implementation, and evaluation of innovative virtual and clinical simulations, most recently including the integration of virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance healthcare providers’ competencies, resilience, and cultural humility.

Dr. Tyerman’s research also examines how VR and virtual simulation can promote accessibility and inclusivity, ensuring equitable learning opportunities for diverse learners and patient populations. She has secured multimillion-dollar funding from major agencies, including CIHR, Health Canada, eCampus Ontario, and PHAC. She is co-founder and Co-President of the international Canadian Alliance of Nurse Educators using Simulation (CAN-Sim) and helped establish and teaches in the CASN Canadian Simulation Nurse Educator Certificate Program, advancing national simulation leadership.

This presentation will highlight past and current research regarding the experiences of Black nursing students in Canada as well as showcase a successful evidence-informed nursing education initiative that is designed to enhance the recruitment, retention, and success of Black nursing students in Nova Scotia.

Dr. Keisha Jefferies is Ancestral Black Nova Scotia nurse scientist, an Assistant Professor and a University Research Chair in the School of Nursing at Dalhousie University.  She is the Director of MBRACe (Multidisciplinary lack Research and Advocacy Centre), which is a research hub dedicated to fostering inclusivity in nursing, advancing Black population health, and supporting the future generation of transformative nurse leaders.  MBRACe builds on Dr. Jefferies’ doctoral research, which was funded by prestigious provincial and federal awards including Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships, Killam Trust and Research Nova Scotia.

Her doctoral research included a qualitative study that examined the leadership experiences of Ancestral Black Nova Scotian nurses; a scoping review of literature regarding Black nurses in Canada; a scholarly personal; narrative that examined her personal nursing education journey; and theoretical papers.  Her research has been shared through radio and print interviews as well as through a widely read opinion editorial in The Conversation.

In August 2024, Dr. Jeffries launched the Pamoja Nursing Program, which is an evidence-informed initiative that fosters a sense of community, belonging, and success for Black nursing students in Nova Scotia. Pamoja builds on Dr. Jeffries’ doctoral research and advocacy by addressing gaps in nursing education. Pamoja includes academic enrichment activities, social events, and an annual three-day Pamoja Nursing Primer for Black nursing students as they embark on their nursing journey.  Since 2024, the Primer has provided a supportive and communal space for 23 Black nursing students across Nova Scotia.

Spotlight on success #1- Preliminary findings on strategies and recommendations to support nursing students with physical disability in clinical placements

This presentation shares findings from a scoping review on the experiences and accommodations of nursing students with physical and sensory disabilities in clinical practice. The review highlights barriers within nursing education, strategies and accommodations for supporting students, and opportunities to improve equity and inclusivity in clinical training environments.

• Jennifer Webber, RN, BScN (Honours), is a Registered Nurse and Master of Public Health student at Lakehead University. She is passionate about public health nursing with a focus on maternal-child health, Indigenous and Northern health equity, and health policy. She completed her BScN at York University in 2025, where she received the Caoilinn Carter Children & Families Award for excellence in family-centered care.Her current research includes co-authoring a scoping review on the experiences of nursing students with disabilities; work that reflects her own journey of overcoming a disability while co

Spotlight on success # 2 – Trauma-informed teaching for student wellness in high stakes learning environments

This presentation explores how intentional, trauma-informed teaching practices can be integrated into nursing education to support student mental wellness, reduce performance anxiety, and enhance learning outcomes. Specifically, wellness-based approaches the University of Manitoba, College of Nursing Skills Program has implemented to support students prepare for, and be successful in, high-stakes demonstration evaluations will be presented. The adopted programming supports and delivery methods aim to foster psychological safety, encourage emotional regulation, and frame skills assessments as opportunities for growth rather than judgement. This approach aligns with trauma-informed pedagogy and acknowledges the emotional labor students carry at the intersection of education, clinical practice and socio-politico-environmental pressures. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for embedding trauma-informed practices directly into their curriculum, and teaching and learning environment. This session is relevant for educators interested in peer mentorship, emotionally supportive teaching and learning, and fostering a culture of care and empowerment in performance based learning.

• Barbara Rose-Lovett is an Instructor II, College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. She holds a clinical Masters of Nursing – Nurse Practitioner, Family/All Ages, Dalhousie University. With over 20 years of nursing experience, she’s transitioned from peri-operative nursing to becoming a Nurse Practitioner and educator. For the past decade, she has focused on enhancing nursing education, including through simulation and skills development. She has worked in diverse geopolitical and cultural contexts to support capacity building in healthcare and education for populations/communities in Canada and internationally.She is the Director, Skills and Simulation Centres and provides academic leadership in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of skills and simulation learning in the undergraduate nursing program. She is also responsible for providing leadership in the management of the administrative and operational aspects of the Skills and Simulation Centres. As the Director of Skills and Simulation Centers at the College of Nursing, University of Manitoba, she is passionate about creating immersive learning environments that prepare students for real-world challenges in healthcare. Having worked in simulation for the past seven years, she is excited to continue driving innovation in nursing education through advanced simulation techniques.

Spotlight on success # 3 – Learning, Leveraging and Leading: Developing Digital Health Competence in Nursing Education

This presentation examines strategies for integrating digital health competencies into undergraduate nursing curricula. Through a case-based learning activity, it highlights how learning collaboration and communication using a digital health approach can support students in leveraging digital health technologies to emerge as future leaders in healthcare.

• Meagan Ryan is an Assistant Professor in the Elizabeth & Thomas Rankin School of Nursing at St. Francis Xavier University. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from St. Francis Xavier University (2015) and a Master of Nursing with a teaching focus from Athabasca University (2021). Meagan is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing at the University of Ottawa, under the supervision of Dr. Michelle Lalonde.Meagan’s research primarily focuses on the transition from student to professional nurse and the role of digital health technologies in nursing education and practice. Her research objectives include: 1) evaluating and enhancing nursing education and practice related to the transition to professional practice; 2) investigating the impact of digital health technologies on nursing workflows, patient care, and required competencies; and 3) identifying opportunities for innovation in nursing and interdisciplinary healthcare practices to improve care delivery and workforce development. These priorities are evident in her teaching of undergraduate students.With more than ten years of clinical experience in acute care and emergency nursing, Meagan holds Canadian Certified Nurse Educator (CCNE) certification and is an Affiliate Scientist with Nova Scotia Health. Her work integrates education, clinical practice, and digital health to advance the nursing profession in a rapidly evolving healthcare environment.

Spotlight on success # 4 – Learning and Unlearning Together: Creating an Indigenous Health, Healing and Wellness Course

Indigenous ways of knowing should not only be a topic within nursing curriculum but ultimately embedded through pedagogy. The Presentation will focus on the development of a course, designed by an Indigenous Scholar for all types of learners, Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and focused on understanding that individuals are at different points in their learning journey. The presentation will discuss the development aspects of the course creation, the course itself, student feedback and changes that have occurred.

• Dr. Erica (Samms) Hurley is a Mi’kmaq woman, registered nurse, researcher, and assistant professor at Memorial University’s Faculty of Nursing with a cross appointment with interdisciplinary humanities, Grenfell campus. Her work is dedicated to Indigenous health and her research is grounded in Mi’kmaq knowledge systems and community-based participatory design. After a diverse nursing career in hospital settings from 2004, she entered nursing education, earning her Master of Nursing in 2014 and her Ph.D. in Nursing in 2023. Her doctoral research focused on Mi’kmaq women’s perspectives on heart, critiquing Western health interventions that fail to meet Indigenous community needs.

  Joining Memorial University in 2022 through an Indigenous cluster hire, Dr. Samms-Hurley established the Wellness and Transformative Engagement in Research Relationships (WATERR) Lab in 2024. The lab, launched officially in 2025, provides an inclusive space for transdisciplinary community-based approaches which aim to improve health and wellness in Indigenous communities.

Spotlight on success # 5 – Best-practices in undergraduate nursing student clinical practice skills evaluations

This presentation will divulge the results of our scoping review where we sought out to map what is known in the literature on methods used with undergraduate nursing students to evaluate key nursing skills in the lab settings. Findings highlighted three key themes: standardized clinical exams, digital/video-based assessments, and competency-focused evaluations, revealing strengths in structure and scalability but limited integration of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility principles. The findings of this review were used to inform an environmental scan of Canadian nursing schools to identify current evaluation practices and emerging innovations in skills assessment. Preliminary results of the environmental scan will be shared.

• Dr. Kateryna Metersky is an Assistant Professor and interim Associate Director of the Collaborative Nursing Degree Program at the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Dr. Metersky’s program of research focuses on: 1) international and cross-national collaborations and partnerships; 2) persons with social, economic and health challenges; 3) nursing and interprofessional practice and education; and 4) intersectionality and positionality in population-centred care. Fittingly, her research program is focused on the integration of her scholarly, research and creative work in pedagogy and practice to promote social justice, local and global community well-being, and health equity. Dr. Metersky is an affiliate scientist with Toronto Metropolitan University’s Centre for Immigration and Settlement, The Institute of Education Research at University Health Network and the Canadian Centre for Mentoring Research.Dr. Metersky continues to maintain her nursing practice in general internal medicine at Toronto Western Hospital. She is a member of the manuscript review board of 15 peer-reviewed journals, on the editorial board of the International Journal of Health Trends and Perspectives and a handling editor for the Canadian Journal of Nursing Research. She sits on Toronto Metropolitan University’s research ethics board as a reviewer and is the vice-chair of University Senate. She is also the current co-chair of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario’s redevelopment of the Person- and Family-Centred Care Best Practice Guideline. Finally, Dr. Metersky sits on the board of directors of the Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative and is a full reviewer with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

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