Five students from the College of Nursing recently received $255,000 from the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF).
Each year, more than $2 million in UMGFs are offered to full-time master’s and PhD students to recognize and support academic excellence. The fellowships are offered to students who have demonstrated superior intellectual ability and academic accomplishment.
Ashley Cels joined the master of nursing (MN) program’s education stream this fall. She received a $40,000 fellowship. Cels has worked in cardiovascular nursing at St. Boniface Hospital for the last five years. She plans to focus her research on women’s cardiac health and has chosen Dr. Marnie Kramer as her advisor. “This award was a wonderful surprise as I had been nominated to receive it. It’s truly an honour and I’m very thankful. I have just begun, but the master of nursing program has already felt like home to me.”
Anne-Marie Gauthier, also joined the MN program this fall in the education stream. Her advisor is Dr. Els Duff and she received a $40,000 fellowship. Gauthier has worked in emergency care since graduating with her bachelor of nursing in 2019. She plans to explore the experiences of new graduate nurses entering the workforce in her research. “I went straight into the emergency department from my undergraduate program, so that was quite the transition. But more and more, that’s the new reality of who is working in the emergency. Whereas 10 years ago, that was kind of an area reserved for experienced nurses.”
Tara Tourloukis, PhD student, received a $50,000 UMGF. Her advisor is Dr. Els Duff. Her study aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the unique experiences of registered psychiatric nurses, ultimately contributing to more effective strategies for supporting their continuing education and professional development. “I’m a mother of five, so the funding is incredibly helpful in terms of helping me balance my time. I don’t have to worry about working while doing my research.”
Belinda Mayer, PhD student, also received $50,000. Her advisor is Dr. Genevieve Thompson. The working title of Mayer’s dissertation is The experience of families in long-term care advisory councils: A mixed-methods ethnography. The work will look at the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care (LTC) advisory councils, which consist of families, residents, staff and leadership from within LTC organizations. “I am grateful to be recognized through this fellowship as a demonstration that families in LTC deserve attention through research, to engage and value them as important participants in care, which will improve the lives of our older adults in care.”
Daphne Kennedy, PhD student, has received $75,000. Her advisor is Dr. Nicole Harder. Kennedy plans to investigate the role of virtual reality simulation in nursing transitions. “I’ve used simulation in my teaching practice for more than 15 years. With advances in technology – and in virtual reality specifically – I’d like to investigate the impacts of virtual reality, how it can enhance learning, increase accessibility to learning, and what this means for nursing education and practice.”