Nursing

Leading the way: Nursing students earn LEAD Medallions before convocation

Kelsey Schumacher stands in front of a UWindsor backdrop in her grad gown holding her LEAD medalKelsey Schumacher, recipient of a Gold LEAD Medallion, celebrates her achievement ahead of convocation. The recognition honours students who demonstrate leadership, engagement, application, and discovery beyond the classroom. (KYLE ARCHIBALD/University of Windsor)

By Sara Meikle

Graduation is a milestone full of reflection and possibility, marking growth, accomplishment and everything still ahead. 

From mentoring classmates and leading community initiatives to pursuing critical care certifications and life-changing leadership opportunities, this year’s nursing LEAD Medallion Scholars are celebrated for the many ways they enriched the nursing community during their time at the University of Windsor. 

Billboards, backflips and big goals: UWindsor nursing grad Ethan Vinagre is ready for what’s next

Ethan jumps for joy in his graduation gownEthan Vinagre celebrates his upcoming graduation from the Faculty of Nursing. The Class of 2026 graduate will begin working in the surgical ICU at Henry Ford Health this fall. (PETER MARVAL/University of Windsor)

By Sara Meikle

As he prepares to cross the stage at the University of Windsor’s Spring Convocation, the next chapter of Ethan Vinagre’s life is already taking shape.

A career in critical care nursing, a new home of his own and even his face on a UWindsor billboard celebrating the Class of 2026 are all part of what comes next for the BScN graduate, who will begin working in the surgical intensive care unit (ICU) at Henry Ford Health this fall.

‘Making invisible experiences visible’: University of Windsor study uses art to explore life after abuse

photo of a piece of artwork by participant 12A participant-created artwork from the study visually maps the complex help-seeking journey women often navigate after leaving a violent intimate partner. (SUBMITTED BY RACHEL ELLIOTT/University of Windsor)

By Sara Meikle

For many women leaving a violent intimate partner, the journey to safety continues long after the relationship ends.

Rebuilding health, stability and quality of life often means navigating healthcare, housing, social services and community supports — a complex process researchers at the University of Windsor are exploring through an innovative arts-based study.

As May marks Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, the project examines the help-seeking journeys of women who have physically separated from violent intimate partners.

TV drama sparks real conversation: UWindsor experts weigh in on emergency nursing, violence and burnout

Destiny Cadarette stands beside a nursing colleague outside in front of a truckUWindsor nursing alumna Destiny Cadarette, pictured (left) with a colleague before an emergency department shift, says the medical drama The Pitt reflects many of the realities nurses face every day — including workplace violence, emotional strain, and the fast-paced demands of emergency care. (SUBMITTED BY DESTINY CADARETTE/University of Windsor)

By Sara Meikle

What TV gets right

The medical drama The Pitt is doing more than drawing viewers — it’s sparking overdue conversations about violence in emergency departments, and the realities nurses face every day.

At the University of Windsor, faculty and frontline nurses say the show comes closer than any other to portraying life in the emergency department (ED), but it still only tells part of the story.

For Destiny Cadarette (BScN ‘17), an ED nurse in Windsor now pursuing her nurse practitioner designation, the show hits close to home.

Five decades of nursing leadership: UWindsor’s Dr. Linda Patrick receives RNAO Lifetime Achievement Award

Headshot of Linda PatrickDr. Linda Patrick, Professor Emerita and former dean of the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Nursing, has received the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her decades of leadership and contributions to nursing practice, education, and research. (FILES/University of Windsor)

By Sara Meikle

For more than five decades, Dr. Linda Patrick has helped shape nursing in Ontario as a clinician, educator, administrator, researcher, mentor and advocate.

This year, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) recognized that impact with one of its highest honours, the Lifetime Achievement Award.

UWindsor students’ experience in Tanzania inspires nursing research publication

A group of nursing students and faculty stand around a table of menstruation kits in Tanzania.University of Windsor nursing students and faculty sourced sustainable menstrual kits prepared for girls attending a leadership and health education program in Tanzania as part of a global health experiential learning initiative. (SUBMITTED BY RACHEL ELLIOTT/University of Windsor)

By Sara Meikle

A group of University of Windsor nursing students have turned a transformative global experience into research, reflection and recognition.

Their manuscript, based on a three-week experiential learning trip to Tanzania last year, has been published in the Global Qualitative Nursing Research journal — marking a significant milestone for both the students and faculty involved.

From setback to success: Nursing student charts interdisciplinary path at UWindsor

Ali Mozafari stands in front of two emergency vehicles during training at CAF base in Windsor.Ali Mozafari during medical first responder training at a Canadian Armed Forces base in Windsor through St. John Ambulance, one of many experiences he pursued beyond the classroom to deepen his understanding of patient care and strengthen his path toward a career in healthcare. (SUBMITTED BY ALI MOZAFARI/University of Windsor)

By Sara Meikle

Ali Mozafari’s path through the University of Windsor has been anything but linear.

A fourth-year nursing student with research experience spanning health sciences and engineering, his story is defined by resilience, curiosity and determination.

“Honestly, it’s been a chaotic journey,” he said. “But I’m proud of how I turned it around and everything I’ve been able to do since.”

Canada’s first cohort of RNs with prescribing authority graduates from UWindsor

Dr. Sherry Morrell pictured with RN Prescribing studentsProfessor Sherry Morrell, one of the faculty leaders behind the creation and development of UWindsor’s RN Prescribing program, leads nursing students through an experiential learning exercise. Canada’s first cohort of registered nurses with prescribing authority will graduate this spring. (MICHAEL WILKINS/University of Windsor)

By Sara Meikle

As Canada continues to confront longer wait times and growing pressure across a strained health-care system, the University of Windsor is preparing to mark a national milestone that reflects both urgency and innovation in care delivery.

New national nursing text led by UWindsor dean champions Indigenous and equity content for first time

Dean Sheppard-LeMoine stands outside on campus holding the new textbook she co-editedDean Debbie Sheppard-LeMoine co-edited Giddens’s Concepts for Canadian Nursing Practice, a new national textbook featuring contributions from experts across the country, including several UWindsor nursing faculty. (RONAK DOOWD/University of Windsor)

By Sara Meikle

At the University of Windsor Faculty of Nursing, classroom concepts have moved into print.

A new national publication featuring several faculty contributors is doing more than filling a gap in academic literature — it’s helping define how future nurses across Canada will learn, think and practise.

A daughter's grief, a nurse's reckoning: UWindsor researcher calls for system-level reform in cancer care

Natalie Giannotti pictured with her fatherDr. Natalie Giannotti, pictured with her father, says her work has taken on new meaning through her personal experience supporting him through his cancer journey. Her research examines gaps in the Canadian healthcare system and the need for reliable, patient-centred care. (SUBMITTED BY NATALIE GIANNOTTI/University of Windsor)

By Sara Meikle

Dr. Natalie Giannotti’s research has always focused on improving patient safety and healthcare systems.

But it wasn’t until she found herself navigating the system as a daughter, supporting her father through his cancer diagnosis and treatment, that the gaps she had long studied became personal.