CNF COVID-19 Fund Award

Like most nurses, I entered the profession because of my desire to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those around me. As I progressed through the initial years of my career, nursing’s role in addressing system level issues became increasingly apparent. This led me to pursue my Master’s in Public Health and to undertake roles in policy, advocacy, regulation, and professional practice within nursing organizations and in government. Through this experience, I have come to appreciate the significant contributions that nursing organizations have in influencing and shaping public policy.

As a PhD Candidate at the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta, my dissertation research focuses on understanding how policy advocacy is undertaken by professional nursing associations in order to identify ways to strengthen and influence and impact. Specifically, my dissertation project will examine the lessons that can be learned from professional nursing associations’ policy advocacy response during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is my hope that the knowledge generated from this research will inform our collective understanding about the policy advocacy functions of our professional nursing associations at the provincial, national, and global levels.

My sincere thanks to the CNF and its generous donors.