I was born and raised in Victoria, BC, homeland of W̱SÁNEĆ people. I am grateful to now reside on traditional unceded Ktunaxa lands, and for the opportunity to live near the Rocky mountains.
I began teaching nursing at the College in 2015 and have taught in both the Practical Nursing and Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs. One of my most memorable teaching experiences was supervising a study abroad placement in rural Kenya. I am currently part of the research community and REB, the Academic Technologies Committee, and Educational Electronic Health Record Committee.
I attended the University of Victoria, completing a Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences majoring in Psychology. I then pursued nursing as a career, completing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Toronto. As a nursing student and upon graduation in 2009, I primarily worked with children at SickKids hospital and BC Children’s hospital. I began teaching nursing in 2014 as a pediatric clinical instructor for UBC, and upon moving to Kimberley, BC (where I continue to reside), I started working at College of the Rockies.
I continued my education by distance, completing a Masters degree in Nursing (MN) from Athabasca University in 2018 with a thesis, Educating Undergraduate Nursing Students Abroad, and am now a doctoral student in their Doctor of Education (EdD) program which focuses on open, digital and distance education. I am very passionate about nursing, education, and research. There’s always more to learn! My scholarly interests include nursing education, arts-based teaching and learning, e-portfolios, blended teaching and learning, study abroad, and family health. In my spare time, I see family and friends, travel, garden, hike, bike and ski.
Teaching and learning in the nursing programs is very dynamic, which I love – I have worked with students in various clinical settings (long term care, acute care, internationally), the classroom, simulation lab, and online. I aim to create supportive communities of inquiry across settings, where student engagement and participation is encouraged. I also seek opportunities for interdisciplinary education.
I recognize that each student brings a unique perspective and life experiences. Such diversity enriches our learning environment. I believe nursing to be both an art and science (or caring science), and when I teach nursing theory courses, I tend to use arts-based approaches to teaching and learning (i.e. art creation, music, poetry) to emphasize the artistic and aesthetic part of our discipline.