Season 1 of the Through My Eyes: Nursing Perspectives podcast features five episodes that tell the stories of nursing leaders across the province who have contributed to the profession in significant ways.

The podcast’s creators are participants in the President’s Student Leadership Program (PSLP), a unique-in-Canada, non-credit program that brings together post-secondary students to build their leadership potential. It’s the flagship program of the James W. Burns Leadership Institute at UM’s Asper School of Business.

The students decided on the nursing podcast for their PSLP leadership service project as a way to uplift both present and future health-care workers.

“The goal of this project is to really fill a need in the community,” said Guneet Uppal, a third-year bachelor of science student. “A lot of us had connections with nurses who were dealing with additional challenges [with COVID-19] on top of the regular ones. We were able to recognize that need by having some conversations with nurses.”

Viktor Popp, a sixth-year mechanical engineering student, said producing the podcast also allowed the group to avoid the COVID-related uncertainty of organizing in-person events. “By choosing the podcast, we knew we could achieve the deliverable that we set out,” Popp said. 

The five students in the PSLP group worked on the podcast in collaboration with the Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba and the UM Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. The episodes range in length from 33 to 53 minutes. Each is hosted by a different member of the PSLP group and covers a different nursing-related theme, such as Indigenous nursing, professional growth and innovation in nursing. 

The podcast features prominent voices in the nursing profession in Manitoba, such as Melanie MacKinnon, executive director of Ongomiizwin – Health Services at UM, Dr. Donna Martin, associate dean of the College of Nursing, and Cindy Fehr, CEO of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Manitoba. 

(from left) Sasha Kullman, Viktor Popp, Meycee Kalaw-Crevier, Alixa Lacerna and Guneet Uppal

“What we wanted was to create a podcast that would support and uplift Manitoba nurses, but I think something really wonderful that it displays is the diversity within the nursing profession,” said Sasha Kullman, a fifth-year kinesiology and recreation management student.

“There are many different routes that you can take as a nurse. It’s not just a nurse working in a hospital, which is what a lot of people think when they think of nurses. You can make real, impactful change in the health-care field as a nurse. You can be a leader in health care and highlighting the vastness of the nursing field was something that’s really valuable that came out of the podcast.”

The PSLP group that created the podcast also included Meycee Kalaw-Crevier, a master of business administration student, and Alixa Lacerna, a master of architecture student. Although the PLSP students have completed their project, the podcast was produced with the potential of future seasons in mind.

“There was a really a big emphasis on planning the project in a way that it can be scalable and sustainable in the long term. This is something that can be replicated. We have developed all the documentation and tools to pass that along,” said Kullman.

The podcast’s third episode, Silver Linings & Comic Relief: Moments of Hope and A-ha!, was released on Nov. 9 and features Dr. Genevieve Thompson, an associate professor in the College of Nursing.

The Through My Eyes: Nursing Perspectives podcast can be streamed on Soundcloud. A new episode has been released every two weeks since the first episode went live on Oct. 13.

College of Nursing dean Dr. Netha Dyck and associate dean (graduate programs) Dr. Donna Martin were  inducted as fellows in the Canadian Academy of Nursing.

In a virtual ceremony Oct. 15, Martin was one of 38 fellows inducted in the second annual class of fellows to be named since the academy was established in 2019. The inaugural class was announced in September 2020 at which Dyck was inducted.

Martin said she is honoured to be among the esteemed company, which includes many researchers that she has cited in her own work.

“This is going to be a great opportunity for me to learn from these individuals and decide how best we can, as a collective group, mentor upcoming fellows and new nurses,” Martin said.

Martin began her nursing career in 1976 when she became a registered nurse through the Health Sciences Centre. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from UM in 1991 and 1997 respectively, and a PhD from University of British Columbia in 2006.

While working on her master’s degree, she began researching the quality of work life for outpost nurses in northern Manitoba, and became passionate about social justice, health equity and providing better health-care services to First Nations communities.

Martin currently serves as a co-principal investigator on a study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research looking at the perspectives of Little Saskatchewan First Nation youth impacted by a 2011 human-made flood that was the result of water being diverted from Winnipeg to 17 First Nations communities.

“Eight years of displacement created profound disruption in all facets of the youth’s lives. They wanted to have a voice at the decision-making table about land, water and human management,” Martin said. “The study’s findings align with CNA’s dedication to cultural safe nursing practice and the disruption of racism.” 

Dyck congratulated Martin on the accomplishment, noting the fellowship represents the highest honour for Canada’s nursing leaders.

“We’re so proud of Donna’s exemplary leadership in the delivery of master’s and doctoral education and preparing exceptional nurse leaders,” she said. “We also celebrate her remarkable contributions to nursing research, policy and advocacy.”

An alumna of the UM nursing program, Dyck is an acclaimed leader in nursing administration and education. She has earned awards from provincial, national and international bodies, including the Ethel Johns Award from the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing in 2016.

Prior to her appointment as dean in 2018, she spent almost 13 years as dean of the School of Nursing and School of Health Sciences at Saskatchewan Polytechnic in Saskatoon. She was also director of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority’s personal care home program from 1998 to 2005.

Dyck was one of 46 fellows inducted in the academy’s inaugural class last year.

“It was a real honour to be named an inaugural Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Nursing. It has been such a privilege to work with and learn from inspiring leaders and colleagues throughout my dynamic career in leadership in both health care and education,” she said.

“We respond to over 2,000 requests for information and services a year, which, I think, shows we are a go-to place for research in Manitoba,” says Susan McClement [MN/93, PhD/01] associate dean, research at the College of Nursing.

The centre currently supports 28 researchers in the college, including a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, providing funding, consultation and other resources.

“Right now we have three researchers with prestigious chair positions and have had 14 chairs awarded to eight different individuals since 2000,” McClement says.

Since 2014 alone, MCNHR researchers have received 131 grants and career awards totaling more than $9.9 million in research funding.

The MCNHR was founded in 1985 as the Manitoba Nursing Research Institute by the late Dr. Helen Glass [Cert.Nurs.(T&S)/58] when she was director of what was then called the School of Nursing.

“We owe gratitude to Dr. Glass for her vision in understanding the need for infrastructure to support nursing research and scholarship,” McClement says.

As part of her associate dean portfolio, McClement assumed the role of director of the MCNHR in 2018, following the lead of seven previous leaders, starting with Dr. Lesley Degner [BN/69], now a distinguished professor emerita.

Senior research manager Diane Cepanec [BA/94, MA/99] has worked with most of those leaders since she started with the centre 20 years ago. “Each of them helped shape what the MCNHR is today and has been an amazing leader and mentor,” says Cepanec.

Hired as a research coordinator in 2000, Cepanec has seen the centre‘s growth first-hand. “We went from offering a single grant valued at $2,000 in 1998 to awarding a total of 12 grants worth more than $60,000 in 2019,” she says.

Dr. Annette Schultz, associate professor, has been a researcher with the College of Nursing for 15 years, with a focus on health services, policy and Indigenous health. She says receiving support from MCNHR staff like Cepanec allows her to keep her focus on writing, crafting ideas and building relationships.

“All my budgets have been done in collaboration with Diane. She is so seasoned at putting these things together,” Schultz says. “As I tell more junior staff, she has read almost every grant that has gone through the college. She sees what gets funded and want doesn’t. To me that’s invaluable.”

Dr. Donna Martin [BN/91, MN/97], associate dean of graduate programs, also praised the centre’s staff, including James Plohman [B.Sc.(Hons.)/97, M.Sc./00], a research coordinator who has been with the centre for 12 years.

“I remember early on submitting an application to the research ethics board and getting this long response with 24 items I’d need to address before it could be approved. I was beside myself,” Martin says. “I went to the centre and James’ positivity dissipated all of that angst in me.”

In 2015, Martin, who led the MCNHR in 2017-2018, conducted a study in partnership with Little Saskatchewan First Nation, documenting the impact that a flood in 2011 had on the community after half its residents were displaced from their homes. The study received $717,855 from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

“The centre really helped with the grant application and providing feedback from earlier drafts, as well as with the dissemination of findings,” she says. “It was an honour to receive that funding, which affirmed that the community’s experience was worthwhile studying and supporting.”

In 2008, the research unit’s name was updated to MCNHR to reflect a growing interest in multidisciplinary health research. Maureen Heaman [BN/78, MN/87, PhD/01], director of the centre from 2006 to 2008, says the name change and refocusing of the centre were the result of a three-year process after a UM senate committee review in 2005.

“We revised the mission, vision and goals and decided to broaden our appeal to researchers and health professionals from disciplines outside of nursing,” she says.

With the updated focus, the centre began offering memberships for those outside the college to access grants and consultative services. Today there are 276 members from across the Rady Faculty colleges, Red River College and Brandon University, as well as professionals from Shared Health, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and beyond.

“Our members come from across the province, North America, and even as far away as Chile,” says Cepanec.

The MCNHR’s core team also doubled from three to six people, and five part-time student research assistant staff have since been added.

The centre has also grown in terms of the programs it offers students. It currently offers support to graduate students through research grants, an annual poster competition as part the Helen Glass Research Symposium, and travel awards to enable students to share their research with larger audiences.

For undergraduates, the MCNHR has a Summer Research Internship Program, founded in 2010, which teams each student with a research mentor on a project that aligns with their interests.

Fourth-year nursing student Sandra Aboh.

In 2020, the program allowed first-time intern Sandra Aboh, a fourth-year bachelor of nursing student originally from Nigeria, a chance to work alongside Roberta Woodgate [BN/89, MN/93, PhD/01], Canada Research Chair in child and family engagement in health research and healthcare, on a project focused on culturally sensitive services for youth.

“Even though we couldn’t work face-to-face because of COVID, I felt very supported by Dr. Woodgate, who was accessible through videoconferencing apps, email and phone,” Aboh says.

In total, 16 student interns worked with 14 mentors in the program this year.

McClement notes that the MCNHR continues to evolve in its support of researchers.

“The future and ongoing development of the centre is really important, and I think there’s some real untapped potential for nursing to enhance industry partnerships and collaborations,” she says.

She points to a project by associate professor Michelle Lobchuk [BN/92, MN/95, PhD/01] to develop a smartphone app that focuses on empathic communication and self-care management as a recent example of this kind of partnership.

“There are lots of ways nursing researchers can engage with people in different sectors,” McClement says.

She also wants to create a climate that will see greater synergy between researchers and other faculty members. “Instructors have a role to play in identifying issues in classroom and clinical teaching that can provide the basis of researchable problems,” she says. “I think we have lots we can learn from each other.”

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 40 years,” says associate professor Judith Scanlan [BN/67, M.Ed./83, PhD/96], former associate dean, graduate programs, who has been teaching at the college for 46 years and joined the full-time faculty in 1983. “We’ve come a long way.”

In 2000, the college introduced a second master’s program, enabling nurses to become nurse practitioners. And in 2013, it launched its current doctoral program.

As the leading provider of nursing graduate studies in the province, the college has produced about 540 graduates from these programs: 334 have earned a master of nursing, 198 have graduated as nurse practitioners, three received PhDs in cancer control, and six have completed doctorates in the current PhD program.    

With the college having passed its 40th anniversary of delivering graduate education, those who have been closely involved see it as a time to celebrate the resulting enhancement of the profession.

“Graduate education provides a platform for generating new knowledge through research,” says Dr. Netha Dyck [BN/88], dean of the College of Nursing. “It’s also a vehicle for knowledge translation, continuous quality improvement in nursing practice and nursing education, and the enhancement of leadership capabilities.”

Graduates who hold these advanced degrees have become senior leaders in academia, policy and practice settings, Dyck says. They have attained positions such as president of a university, dean of nursing, president of the Canadian Nurses Association and vice-president of the International Council of Nurses.

One master’s graduate whose leadership skills have been highly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic is Lanette Siragusa [BN/95, MN/08], chief nursing officer for Shared Health.

Dyck says she’d like to pay tribute to the visionary former leaders of the college whose efforts laid the groundwork for graduate studies.

Margaret Elder Hart [LLD/93], director of the School of Nursing from 1948 to 1972, obtained her doctorate in the United States and wrote her thesis on Needs and Resources for Graduate Education in Nursing in Canada. Hart submitted the first proposal for a master of nursing degree at UM in the 1960s, but it didn’t become a reality until 1980.

Scanlan suggests one reason that nursing research and scholarship were undervalued in the past: “People have thought of nursing as a technical profession,” she says. “But it’s very much a critical thinking profession.”

When Scanlan was associate dean, graduate programs from 2007 to 2012, she led a curriculum revision that streamlined the master of nursing program so that students now choose one of three areas of focus: administration, education or clinical practice.

Research shows that when clinical leaders hold graduate degrees, their staff report higher levels of satisfaction and their patients have better outcomes, Scanlan notes.

Dr. Donna Martin [BN/91, MN/97], the current associate dean, graduate programs, says a key purpose of the master’s program is to translate research into improved patient care. “Our graduates work with hospital teams or public health teams to question the status quo and bring more up-to-date research findings into practice.”

Martin is a 1997 graduate of the master’s program. For her thesis, she traveled to northern Manitoba to study the quality of work life of outpost nurses. “That stimulated my current program of research on Indigenous people’s health,” she says.   

Martin finds that the majority of nurses who pursue a master’s, and may continue to a PhD, are people with a high level of curiosity. “They’re Sherlock Holmes types, really interested in finding the truth and solving an issue. Most of our graduate students are practising nurses who study part-time. They’ve had experience in health care, and they can really focus on a topic that interests them.”

A current PhD candidate, Abeer Alraja [MN/11], got fired up when she attended an event for nurses where it seemed that those who were new to practice viewed bullying as an unavoidable part of nursing culture.  

“I realized that addressing bullying should start in nursing schools to prepare a new generation of nurses who do not accept bullying,” says Alraja, who was inspired to create an online educational tool for nursing students and nurses on workplace bullying.

Prior to the 2013 launch of the PhD program, any nurse who wanted to earn a doctorate had to pursue it at another UM college or faculty, or leave the province. One of the key benefits of now having the program, the professors say, is that it enables Manitoba nursing to “grow its own” experts, some of whom will join the UM faculty.

“It’s a way for us to have a succession plan at the college,” Martin says. “Globally, there is a nursing faculty shortage. Through mentorship, we’re preparing the next generation of faculty. It’s also important that we have continuity of knowledge of the Manitoba health-care system and Manitoba population.”

In 2017, Kendra Rieger [BN/05, PhD/17] became the first graduate of the new PhD program. “I would have been unable to relocate at this point in my life,” she said at the time. “It was wonderful to have the opportunity right here.” Rieger joined the faculty as an assistant professor and has now relocated to Trinity Western University.

Recently, the nurse practitioner program was among the first to receive national accreditation from the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing. The program is one of four to receive this distinction.  

Reflecting on the success of all the graduate programs, Scanlan says: “We’re attracting students and faculty from other provinces. We have a stellar reputation.”

Dyck says all aspects of the profession benefit from excellence in graduate education.

“A number of our graduates have been recognized for their delivery of innovative nursing education,” she says. “Many graduates are conducting important clinical research. Those who are in the health-care workforce are making a huge difference in care delivery. ‘Leadership’ is really the key word that captures the contributions that our graduates are making.”

“Some adjustments had to be made to support students and mentors working remotely, but we are officially underway with a full summer program,” said Diane Cepanec, director of the program, which brings together 16 student researchers and 14 mentors from the College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

To begin the program in its virtual form, Cepanec facilitated a video conferencing orientation session for all participants that focused on a discussion of roles and expectations setting up an online office and opportunities for training and networking and emphasized the importance of keeping a work routine and maintaining a positive and healthy life-work balance.

“We also discussed connecting as people beyond our formal titles, which is so important and makes a difference in the kind of experience and learning that students have,” she said.

Sidrah Khawaja, a research assistant for her third consecutive summer, said that being connected to her colleagues has been a key part of her success with the program.

“Research is about teamwork and now we’ve been forced into an uncomfortable situation of having to be isolated, but having the support from the MCNHR team and my mentors has made the transition so much easier” she said.

Khawaja, who also has a UM bachelor’s degree in genetics, noted the program has been very important to her since she entered the College of Nursing.

“In my first year, one of my professors noticed I had an interest in research and told me about the program,” she said. “I wouldn’t have known this opportunity existed for students prior to that, and I thought it would be an interesting way to learn more about nursing research. It’s become such a big part of my life now.”

This summer, Khawaja is working with Dr. Donna Martin, associate dean of graduate programs, and assistant professor Dr. Marnie Kramer on an international project led by Dr. Amanda Kenny from LaTrobe University in Australia that focuses on a review of research in nursing education and the impact of how nursing education is constructed.

Khawaja and Naomi Armah, another returning research assistant, gave an online presentation on May 19, welcoming participants and highlighting methods for success while taking part in the program remotely. They said this was especially important for students new to the program.

“We highlighted the need for excellent communication and establishing relationships with your mentors, support staff and colleagues,” Armah said. “Resilience begins in the mind, and once you have that intrinsic motivation, you will be better able to learn, adapt to changes and explore other contextual factors that can support you through the journey.”

Armah, a PhD student in the College of Nursing, is in the program for the fourth time. Over the last few years, she has been involved in multiple projects, including one that led to a published article in the International Journal of Public Health in 2019. This summer, she’s working with Dr. Nicole Harder, Mindermar Professor in Human Simulation, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, on a scoping review of psychological and moral distress in healthcare providers who are involved in the withdrawal of treatments of patients in intensive care settings.

“I have had the opportunity to work on literature reviews, engage in data collection and data analysis, and work on grant and ethics applications. So many opportunities have come my way from working at the MCNHR as a summer intern,” Armah said.

First-time intern Sandra Aboh said she appreciated the online introductory sessions and they helped her feel welcome.

“We got to meet our team and learn about the resources we have. We also had an opportunity to work on schedules and have some coffee time, since we can’t meet on campus anymore,” she said.

A bachelor of nursing student set to enter her fourth year, Aboh moved to Winnipeg from Nigeria in 2017 to study nursing. She previously earned a degree in microbiology from Bowen University in Nigeria.

“I’ve always been interested in research, and as I went through the program I found topics that were of interest, like youth and marginalized populations,” she said.

Aboh received an undergraduate research award to take part in the seminars and work with Dr. Roberta Woodgate, Canada Research Chair in Child and Family Engagement in Health Research and Healthcare, and her team on a project looking into culturally-sensitive services for youth.

“I know this time is different because I can’t just walk up to my mentor, but she is very accessible through video conferencing apps, email and phone, and will answer any question I have,” Aboh said.

In 2011, members of the Little Saskatchewan First Nation were told a flood was coming. They had 24 hours to pack—just two suitcases each—and they’d have to leave everything else behind, even their pets.

They didn’t know exactly where they would be staying, or when they would be allowed to go home. Many thought it would only be for a few weeks. Five years later, there are still over 2,000 former residents of the Little Saskatchewan First Nation (LSFN) who haven’t seen their community since.

Although they were told to evacuate immediately, not everyone followed orders. About 350 community members stayed behind, trying to fight the flood and pick up after the devastation that followed. They’ve kept their connection to the land, but precious little else. “The lake is polluted, so you can’t fish, can’t swim. There’s no meeting hall; it’s all mouldy,” says Dr. Donna Martin, a researcher and associate professor at the College of Nursing. “These are traumatized people with limited economic resources, no prospects of a job, and nothing to do.”

At home at LSFN or in temporary housing in Winnipeg, members of the flooded First Nation have been in turmoil and despair since the day the water started rising. Mental health issues have taken root, with depression, loneliness, and post-traumatic stress disorder at the forefront.

Those who remained behind are experiencing other health problems as well, either new or worsening. Respiratory problems have a clear link to the mould and decay that lingers throughout the community. The most vulnerable citizens, Elders and those already diagnosed with conditions like kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes or arthritis, are now increasingly experiencing co-morbidities like heart attack, stroke, and cancer.

“We know from previous studies and literature about survivors of natural disasters that marginalized people are the ones most profoundly affected by these events. They’re the ones who will struggle the most, and in Canada, our largest marginalized population is Indigenous,” says Martin.

In 2015, she and Dr. Shirley Thompson, associate professor at the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Manitoba, and their research team were awarded a grant by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for a three-year study focusing on the First Nation community’s experiences, health outcomes, and future plans.

Martin anticipates that the project will have considerable implications for future flooding and disaster preparedness and response. “Right now there’s a real lack of current policies that recognize and mitigate the effects of induced displacement of First Nation communities,” Martin says.

“Detailed descriptions and firsthand accounts of how community members understand and experience induced displacement are really necessary to develop comprehensive and inclusive policies and procedures for supporting evacuees in respectful, effective, and relevant ways.”

Learn more by viewing a 25-minute video produced by Myrle Ballard, Postdoctoral Fellow at the College of Nursing. This video has been officially released with approval and blessings from the Chief and Council of Little Saskatchewan First Nation.

Donna Martin, RN, PhD
Associate Professor, College of Nursing

Featured Research: The micro- and macro-construction of induced displacement: experiences, health outcomes, and future plans of Little Saskatchewan First Nation

Click to view more Research in Nursing profiles.