Grandmother Irene Compton is co-founder of Minwaashin Lodge celebrating 34 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. 

Irene is the carrier of the stories of Minwaashin Lodge which connects Indigenous women to their culture, identity and pride.

John Moses will share the remarkable story and enduring legacy of his grandmother, Charlotte Edith Anderson Monture, a Kanien’kehà:ka woman and the first Indigenous registered nurse in Canada.

An inspiring opportunity to learn more about her extraordinary life and lasting contributions to nursing in Canada.

Leigh Chapman, RN PhD
Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)
Health Canada

Named in 2023 as one of Maclean’s top 10 health care innovators and as one of the 50 most influential Torontonians, Dr Leigh Chapman is a leader within the field of nursing and healthcare. Leigh is a registered nurse (RN) with over 20 years of experience. Over the course of her career, Leigh has gained a deep understanding of nursing through her work in both frontline and clinical leadership capacities. Her professional experience spans various settings including clinical care, education, research, professional practice, administration, policy, and advocacy.

After obtaining her BScN degree, Leigh completed a Master in Clinical Health Sciences from the Nursing Graduate Program at McMaster University. Leigh then completed her doctoral work in 2019 at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto. Her research provided key insights into ways in which the regulation of health professionals intersects with organizational priorities in acute care settings.

As Chief Nursing Officer, Leigh recognizes the important contributions of nurses at the federal level and aims to ensure their integration into decisions impacting the profession. Within her role Leigh provides strategic advice from a nursing perspective on priority policy and program areas. She plays a convening role with provincial/territorial governments, federal departments, regulatory bodies/colleges, educators and others on key nursing issues. Additionally, Leigh represents the Government of Canada at public forums, both within and outside of Canada. Leigh is committed to advancing the nursing profession in Canada to ensure equitable access to safe, quality care for all.

Tracie Risling RN, PhD is the Associate Dean Innovation and Research in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary, the President of the Canadian Nurses Association and a the Past-President of the Canadian Nursing Informatics Association. With a practice background in pediatric and public health nursing, Dr. Risling also has extensive experience in nursing education, curriculum development and research. She currently leads a patient-oriented program of health and nursing informatics research including study on artificial intelligence, social media and misinformation, co-design, and the use of text messaging for wellness support. She is a passionate advocate for increased nursing engagement in the development, use, and evaluation of digital health solutions, which is reflected in her work with the Doctor of Nursing program at the University of Calgary. 

Lorna Butler, RN PhD FCAN 

 Dr Lorna Butler received her PhD from the University of Toronto (1990) her Masters of Nursing from Dalhousie University (1987) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Mount Saint Vincent University (1978). She is a Professor and Dean, Faculty of Nursing & Health Sciences at University of New Brunswick. Dr Butler was inducted to the Canadian Nurses Academy as a Fellow in 2022. She describes her career as about taking risks to position nursing in places where we have never been before and ensure that nurses’ contribution to society is visible and high profile through the communities in which they serve. She believes that perhaps her greatest contribution has been the use of technology to create access to nursing education locally, nationally and in the circumpolar north. Crossing borders to learn culture and care to improve the social determinants of health has been life changing for her. Lessons from Indigenous people of Canada’s north and the circumpolar world have shaped how she approaches a global health strategy with policies that are inclusive of Indigenous people. A strength of her leadership contribution is knowing how to collaborate with international partners to influence policy. Dr Butler believe strongly that it is not so much about what she may have done but what others can do because of her presence.

Gurjit is CNA’s Director of Research and Policy, bringing 18 years of experience in health leadership, nursing practice, research, and policy. She has led initiatives across regional, provincial, national, and international settings, including work with Indigenous communities. Gurjit holds degrees in biochemistry (McGill University) and nursing (McMaster University, summa cum laude), and a Master of Public Health in epidemiology (University of Toronto). An alumna of the Women in Media Fellowship, she is recognized for her strategic vision and expertise in interprofessional care, evidence-informed practice, data analytics, and multi-sector collaboration, advancing equitable and impactful health system transformation across Canada.

Dr. Amina Silva, PhD, RN, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at Brock University. Her research program advances nursing education and complex patient care through innovation, with particular emphasis on simulation-based learning, immersive technologies, and artificial intelligence. She also leads research in organ donation and transplantation, end-of-life care, and cancer survivorship. 

Dr. Silva’s work is grounded in developing practical, scalable, and evidence-informed solutions that strengthen workforce preparedness, improve patient outcomes, and expand equitable access to education and support. She has led the development and evaluation of technology-enabled learning experiences and co-developed a microcredential that prepares nursing educators to integrate artificial intelligence responsibly into their teaching. 

Alongside her research and teaching, Dr. Silva holds leadership roles on institutional and national committees focused on artificial intelligence, simulation and innovation, and clinical education. Through these roles, she supports the thoughtful integration of emerging technologies while safeguarding clinical judgment, equity, and the relational foundations of nursing. Her work has been recognized through competitive research funding, national and international collaborations, and invitations to present across Canada and internationally.

Renée Gordon is the Associate Dean, Moncton and a Teaching Professor in the Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of New Brunswick. Since entering nursing education in 2014, she has contributed to undergraduate nursing education through teaching, curriculum development, and academic leadership. 

Renée’s scholarly work focuses on innovation in nursing education, particularly simulation-based education, immersive virtual reality, and the integration of emerging technologies into nursing curricula. Guided by a forward-looking vision for the profession, she believes nursing education should prepare graduates to lead within increasingly complex health-care environments. This perspective underpins her commitment to challenging traditional approaches and making nursing education more accessible, relevant, and responsive to the diverse needs of students and the health-care system.  

Renée has a strong record of leadership in advancing simulation, with expertise developed through her academic work and more than 20 years of military service. Informed by her clinical background in acute care, she aims to create pragmatic and engaging learning experiences that strengthen clinical judgment, competence, and readiness for practice.

Jaime Riley is an Associate Teaching Professor and the Simulation Strategist in the Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of New Brunswick. She is passionate about reimagining how nurses learn, practice, and prepare for the complexities of contemporary health care, with a strong commitment to innovative, learner-centred education and scholarship. 

With extensive experience in simulation across both academic and hospital settings, Jaime brings a unique perspective that bridges classroom learning, clinical practice, and health-system realities. Her nursing career began in emergency nursing, where she worked as a Registered Nurse before becoming a Nurse Practitioner. This clinical foundation continues to inform her approach to education, ensuring that innovation remains grounded in the realities of patient care and the evolving needs of the health-care system. 

Jaime is continually exploring how nursing education can be redesigned to be more engaging, accessible, sustainable, and responsive to diverse learners and learning environments. Her work focuses on innovative teaching methodologies, simulation, experiential learning, and emerging approaches that challenge traditional structures and create meaningful opportunities for students to learn, practice, and develop clinical confidence.