On June 19, the College of Nursing welcomed Dr. Leigh Chapman, Canada’s Chief Nursing Officer, for a discussion with faculty, staff and student representatives from the Nursing Students’ Association.
The discussion was part of a two-day visit to Winnipeg that also included stops at Health Sciences Centre, the Manitoba Legislature, the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba, l’Hôpital St-Boniface Hospital and l’Université de Saint-Boniface.
Dr. Chapman was appointed as the Chief Nursing Officer for Canada in August 2022. The position was reinstated by the Government of Canada to recognize the expertise, contributions and sacrifices made by the nursing workforce throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and to increase input in decisions affecting the nursing profession and health care system.
Dr. Chapman’s nursing career has spanned almost 20 years and her professional experience includes clinical care, education, research, administration, policy, and advocacy. Prior to her current role, she was the inaugural Director of clinical services with Inner City Health Associates in Toronto. Her work there encompassed strategic, operational, and clinical oversight of nursing services for the care of people experiencing homelessness who were affected by COVID-19.
The visit included a brief overview of her career and current position, as well as a nearly hour-long question and answer session that explored various nursing-related topics.
She noted one of her priorities is engagement across jurisdictions, which brought her to Manitoba. “I am a nurse from Ontario, I need to understand the realities of the nursing profession in Manitoba and across the country.”
