NOMINATOR: Cristina Burnett
LETTER OF SUPPORT: Richard Drew

Christopher Picard has shown his commitment to education, research and professional advancement through numerous venues such as journal submissions, research and teaching within the department. He is engaged, committed and inspired to push nursing and our profession forward. He displays his commitment to his own learning and education by instructing Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Mental Health First Aid, and Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (CTAS). This gives Chris the freedom and advantage to teach others. Chris has brought to our department numerous new challenges and learning opportunities such as nurse initiated peripheral ultrasound guided intravenous insertion, CPR feedback devices, and high-fidelity simulation. Each new protocol or learning opportunity presented by Chris is always backed with the best evidence-based information, or from research he is a part of. Outside the department, Chris sits on numerous boards and research teams and introduced ground-breaking research surrounding at home smart devices assisting with emergencies. His engaging personality and innovative spirit bring passion and enthusiasm to our department. Chris has presented both his own and collaborative research at numerous venues and has articles have been published in multiple academic journals. There is no better candidate for this award than Chris. He has accomplished so much in a small amount of time and he is someone to watch for as he will help drive us forward.