Tilda Shalof has been a nurse for many, many years *her words*! Forty to be exact. Tilda worked for decades as a critical care nurse in the medical surgical ICU at the University Health Network and in a variety of other positions in that hospital such as a neurosurgery clinics, HIV clinic, family practice, and most recently, in long term care. Tilda is the author of “A Nurse’s Story – Life, Death, and In between in an Intensive Care Unit”, which became an overnight bestseller and was translated into five languages. In Part A of this interview, Tilda talks about nurses as authors – what inspired her to write and how nurses ‘voices’ are critical to inform the public and to speak honestly about the healthcare system. In Part B of our interview, Tilda speaks about her new book, “The Handover – A Nurse’s Last Shift”, written in collaboration with a young nurse, Lisa Mochrie. The book documents Tilda’s mentorship of Lisa and captures Tilda’s process of leaving the profession she loves as she helps launch the career of an up and coming nurse. Enjoy!

Tiffany McEwen RN, BSN
Direct Care Nurse
Emergency Room

Ana Phan RN, BScN
Direct-Care Nurse Forensics

Join The Interview where Ana talks to us about what it is like to be a new graduate working in Forensics.

Ana Phan RN, BScN
Direct-Care Nurse Forensics

Join The Interview where Ana talks to us about what it is like to be a new graduate working in Forensics.

Navigating the transition from nursing student to practicing nurse involves overcoming significant challenges, specifically during initial employment periods marked by transition shock and crisis. Insights from Dr. Judy Duchscher emphasize the need for structured support, theoretical frameworks, and fostering mentorship relationships to effectively guide new graduates through these critical phases.
• Understanding the purpose and structure of nurse residency programs
• Differentiating between transition shock and transition crisis
• The importance of mentorship and support for new graduates
• Recognizing the emotional and psychosocial needs during different stages
• The value of peer mentorship and initiatives like Storm Chaser
• Addressing the need for theoretical frameworks in residency programs

Satvir is an internationally educated nurse currently practicing as a Registered nurse in Ontario, Canada. Satvir came to Canada in 2017 in pursuit of advanced education studies and in 2020 graduated with a Master of Nursing from Thompson Rivers University with a focus on understanding resilience for newly graduated nurses. Satvir is passionate about the issues around the experience of transition to practice for new nurses.

Ever wonder if mental health nursing (forensics, corrections or addictions) is for you? Join us for this overview on the distinctions and synergies between the various arms of this specialty area from experts in the area.

Professor Emeritus Cindy Peternelj-Taylor, taught with the College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan for more than 30 years. Much of her career focused on professional role development for nurses and other healthcare professionals who work with criminal justice involved persons. Her research and scholarship address clinical and ethical issues that emerge from practice in forensic mental health and correctional settings, including boundary violations, whistleblowing, end-of-life care, and Othering. She is an experienced writer, editor, and scholar, who has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and books, and is a much sought-after speaker, both nationally and internationally. Since 2010 Cindy has held the position of Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Forensic Nursing, and is a Distinguished Fellow with the International Association of Forensic Nurses.

Jessica Nelson is a recent graduate (2024) of the University of Alberta’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing Collaborative degree program. In addition to this recent academic achievement, she also possesses an Honours Diploma in Disaster and Emergency Management from NAIT (2020). Jessica has a passion for Correctional Health Nursing. During her degree program, she was employed at the local Remand Center where she worked as an Undergraduate Nurse. Soon after her degree, she continued on in the Remand Center as a Graduate Nurse, and most recently, an RN. Jessica possesses a wide array of experience, nursing and leadership-related, which supports her current practice in Corrections, including in the areas of Harm Reduction, Medical Detox, Mental Health (Eating Disorders), and Emergency Social Services. She is a strong advocate for her community, noted through various recognitions, including as Red Deer Polytechnic's Board of Governors' Scholarship for Citizenship recipient in 2022 and 2023.

Jordana Schmitz is a Senior Practice Consultant with AHS Correctional Health Services. Jordana is a relationship-oriented practice consultant with over 14 years of correctional nursing experience. Her passion for corrections began as a student at Lethbridge Correctional Center. As a Senior Practice Consultant, she drives best practices across 10 provincial correctional centers, focusing on systems transformation, leadership development, and regulatory compliance. She has led policy reforms, strategic planning, and Accreditation compliance. Jordana is passionate about Correctional Health Nursing, dedicated to providing compassionate care to an often stigmatized and underserved population. She strives to enhance healthcare excellence within correctional settings by implementing innovative practices and advocating for improved health policies. She ensures patients receive dignified, comprehensive care, believing in quality healthcare for all, regardless of circumstances.

Nicola Scheu is a dual Diploma Registered Psychiatric Nurse and Registered Nurse, with an Advanced Diploma in Psychiatric Nursing, Baccalaureate Degree of Science in Psychiatric Nursing and a Master’s Degree of Science in Nursing (Education). She has an extensive mental health nursing background in Direct Care, Education and Leadership roles. Her work experience settings have included Riverview Hospital - the former main Adult Provincial Tertiary Psychiatric Hospital - for 16 years where she worked in acute psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, refractory psychiatry, serious & persistently mentally ill, and geriatric psychiatry patient populations as a direct care nurse, Team Leader and Acting Nurse Clinician roles. Other areas worked included a Community Mental Health Case Manager role in the Downtown East side of Vancouver and as a Nurse in a Detoxication Centre. Nicola joined the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in 2007. Her roles have included those of a unit based Direct Care Nurse, Nurse Supervisor and Clinical Nurse Educator. Since 2019 Nicola has been in the role of Site Leader –and is the main leadership on site resource ‘after hours’.

Darla Allen is a registered nurse and identifies with the Inuvialuit peoples who live and work in the western Canadian Arctic region. A recent graduate (2023) from the University of Victoria through Aurora College in Yellowknife, Darla works on the pediatrics unit at Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Darla started her nursing career by being a part of the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) Nurse Residency Program, which assisted her to find her footing in the early stages of her nursing career. Darla is I proud to be able to use her culture to provide comfort for her patients and their families.

Roxie is a Registered Nurse and advocate for people who are homeless and people who use drugs. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from The University of Ottawa in 2013 and immediately starting working in primary care at South-East Ottawa Community Health Centre. From there, she moved to Toronto and began working as a Street Nurse at Inner City Family Health Team since April 2014. Soon after she started this job, she realized the tremendous work that needed to be done to really support her clients, understanding the challenges that homelessness brings. Roxie has been part of various activist groups, such as the Street Nurses Network and the Shelter and Housing Justice Network, and is often at anti-poverty marches, rallies and protests. She also regularly advocates for her clients through in-person discussion and through social media.

The healthcare industry is currently at a crossroads. Organizations are adapting clinician
workflows to new technologies, steering through changes in care delivery settings, mitigating
complex risks like staff burnout and workplace violence, and navigating an uncertain economic
and global political climate. Despite these challenges, ensuring patient and workforce safety
across the healthcare continuum must remain a top priority for all healthcare organizations.

Chao YuHu is a recent graduate of the University of Manitoba. During Chao’s third year of nursing, she fell in love with internal medicine during her clinical rotation. Chao further solidified her passion for internal medicine from working as a healthcare aide and an undergraduate nursing employee (UNE) in her undergraduate years. Since graduating from the University of Manitoba in 2022, Chao has been working in both Health Sciences Centre (HSC) in Winnipeg and traveling causally in various rural facilities. Outside of her work, you can find Chao immersing herself in R&B and jazz music, putting together Lego sets, and jogging down the streets of Winnipeg hoping to discover any newly opened local shops.

Participants

Trace Hobson brings over 25 years of executive leadership and coaching expertise to the healthcare sector, specializing in creating resilient, psychologically safe environments for healthcare teams facing high stress and pressure. A professionally credentialed coach with the International Coaching Federation, Trace's unique journey through personal and professional high-stress situations has shaped his mission, which is to create a world where clinical leaders, managers and educators are inspired by their work, create a safe space with their team, and go home fulfilled and energized by their work.

Jon Schmid is a Canadian health systems expert, experienced executive leader, nurse, educator, improvement consultant and Veteran leading transformation and Innovation in healthcare. Jon holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, an Advanced Certificate in Critical Care, and a Master of Science in Healthcare Quality. Jon has a decade of clinical practice experience in emergency, ICU, flight, and military nursing. He’s led clinical operations in eleven Canadian hospitals across Saskatchewan and British Columbia and is the founder of Role 4 Solutions where he consults internationally in healthcare management, patient safety, and process improvement.

Victoria Schmid is the first CEO of SWITCH BC (Safety, Well-being, Innovation, Training, and Collaboration in Healthcare). SWITCH BC was created to represent unions, employers, Doctors of BC, the Ministry of Health, and WorkSafeBC as a collaborative force for change. Its mandate is to support the health, safety and well-being of the over 330,000 people who work in healthcare in BC. Victoria has a Master of Health Studies and Leadership and a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition.

Judy Duchscher is an internationally renowned expert in the transition of newly graduated nurses to professional practice. Judy has developed a theory of the Stages of Transition © and a model of Transition Shock ©, intended to serve as a framework for successfully orientating, transitioning, integrating and ten stabilizing the initial professional role transition of students to new graduates. Utiizing her non-profit platform (https://www.nursingthefuture.ca) Judy invites all nurses to educate themselves on the challenges and mitigating support factors that provide our newest practitioners with what they need to be resilient, empowered and compassionate professionals.

Host
Ivy Wang & Farah Elgaweesh

Participants
Sarah Mohamed

In this Guest Interview, nursing students Ivy Wang and Farah Elgaweesh interview the newly graduated Sarah Mohamed on understanding Professional Role Transition, navigating new graduate supports and exploring leadership as both students and emerging professionals.

Host
Judy Duchscher RN, BScN, MN, PhD
Director - Nursing The Future

Participants
Bonnie Clipper - Expert in Virtual Nursing

In this episode, Dr. Duchscher talks with Dr. Clipper about ‘virtual nursing’ - what it is, what it is not, how virtual nursing can we utilized to assist with staffing shortages, and what we can expect in the future from AI approaches to nursing practice.

Host
Michelle Lamont, RN, BScN, MScN student
Nursing The Future™

Participants
Wendy McKenzie, MMM, CD, RN, BSN, MSN, EdD, CNN(C)
Coordinator of the Nursing Resource and Simulation Center
Thompson Rivers University
Kamloops, BC

In this episode of the interview, Michelle Lamont speaks with Dr. Wendy McKenzie about her journey as an educator leading international practicums with nursing students.

Host
Michelle Lamont, RN, BScN, MScN student
Nursing The Future™

Participants
Kathryn Corneau, RN, BScN, MN (C) and Julia Burke, Newly Graduated Practical Nurse

In this episode of the interview, Michelle Lamont speaks with Julia Burke, a newly graduated practical nurse and Kathryn Corneau, a registered nurse and master’s student. Kate and Julia share some of their experiences travelling within their provinces to complete practicums while in nursing school.

Host
Michelle Lamont, RN, BScN, MScN student
Nursing The Future™

Participants
Sarah M., Francophone new graduate
School of Nursing
University of Ottawa
Ontario

In this episode of the interview, Michelle Lamont speaks with Sarah, a francophone new graduate nurse. Sarah shares some of her personal bedside experiences and explains the importance of having bilingual nursing care available to serve the linguistic francophone minority in Ontario.

Host
Anna Offiah, RN, BScN, MN(c)
Nursing The Future™

Participants
Gisèle Thibodeau, BScN, RN
Faculty - Practical Nursing Program
School of Health & Human Services, Nova Scotia Community College, Burridge Campus
Nova Scotia

In this episode of the Interview, Anna Offiah talks with Gisèle Thibodeau about the panic when the shut down was announced in March, and the resulting ingenuity of nurse educators to ensure their students were successful!

Host
Anna Offiah, RN, BScN, MN(c)
Nursing The Future™

Participants
Victor Ejike, Nursing student
Year one Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing student
Regina, SK

In this interview Anna Offiah sits down with Victor Ejike, a first year nursing student. Victor talks about how George Floyd relates to his experiences here in Regina, and ways that nursing teachers can make the classroom safe for culturally diverse students!

Host
Anna Offiah, RN, BScN, MN(c)
Nursing The Future™

Participants
Lionel Tancrede, RN, BScN, MN | Faculty - College of Nursing
Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN)
SaskPolyTech, Regina, SK

In this episode, Anna Offiah talks to Lionel Tancrede about diversity and inclusion in nursing. Lionel shares his experiences and what he thinks new grads need to know!

Host
Anna Offiah, RN, BScN, MN(c)
Nursing The Future™

Participants
Jodi Kerr, RN, BScN
Direct Care Manager, 5A Neurosciences
Regina General Hospital

Jodi is the manager of Neurosciences at the Regina General Hospital and is a mentor to students and new grads. Listen to her approach to staff health and wellness!

Host
Anna Offiah, RN, BScN, MN(c)
Nursing The Future™

Participants
Madison Cook and Robyn MacDonald, new graduates in British Columbia, talk about their transition to nursing practice and how the pandemic has affected their lives.

Madison Cook RN, BScN
Direct Care Nurse
Medical Telemetry
Vernon Jubilee Hospital

Robyn McDonald RN, BScN
Direct Care Nurse
Royal Inland Hospital
Surgical Inpatient Unit

Host
Anna Offiah, RN, BScN, MN(c)
Nursing The Future™

Participant
Hanifa Adams, RN, BScN
Casual New Graduate Nurse
Regina, Saskatchewan

On this episode we feature the experiences of Hanifa Adams, a new graduate working in Regina, Saskatchewan. Hanifa shares her thoughts about transition, NCLEX and why she chose nursing.