The Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba (ARNM) recently acknowledged members of the College of Nursing faculty at its 2021 celebration of excellence, an online event held May 13.
Alia Lagace received the Award of Excellence: Education. Lagace is the Year 2 skills and clinical course lead and has been with the college since November 2016.
“I was deeply honored and touched by the nomination and award. I have the privilege of working with and learning from so many expert nurse educators at the College of Nursing and these exceptional colleagues have contributed greatly to my successes, this award included,” she said.
Assistant professor Dr. Christina West received the Award of Excellence in Research. Among those she acknowledged were the many graduate students and faculty members from the College of Nursing who had been involved in and supported the graduate student mentorship work at the college.
“I feel very honored to have received this award and am thankful to the College of Nursing nominating committee,” she said. “Research doesn’t ever happen alone, and I am thankful to the clinical and funding partners which have supported my arts-based research on the child and family experience of pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant.”
Two of the college’s teams were also honoured with Outstanding Nursing Unit, Program or Interprofessional Team Awards.
Leslie Spillett, Audrey Richard and Tyla Turman were recognized for their work as the team behind Mahkwa omushki kiim: Pathway to Indigenous Nursing Education (PINE), which supports First Nations, Métis and Inuit students entering the bachelor of nursing program. Part of the name, Mahkwa omushki kiim, means “bear medicine” when translated from Ojibway.
“It is such a great privilege to work with the College of Nursing and to help Indigenous nursing students know that they come from greatness, from peoples who have sophisticated systems of knowledge, medicines, health care and community care,” Spillett said.
The Nurse Practitioner program team, led by Dr. Darlene Pierce, was also recognized. The program is taught by an interdisciplinary faculty and provides a strong basis in physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, advanced health assessment, community health, evidence informed practice and role development.
“To be recognized by our professional body as providing excellence in nurse practitioner education as a team is both an honour and privilege that attests to our dedication to our profession and our students,” Pierce said.