Nursing

UWindsor nursing study shows trust and mentorship are key to medication incident reporting

Natalie Giannotti holds a poster for her WeSpark grant projectFaculty of Nursing professor Natalie Giannotti led a study examining perceptions of medication incident reporting, helping advance a culture of patient safety, learning, and transparency. (SUBMITTED BY NATALIE GIANNOTTI/University of Windsor)

By Sara Meikle

Administering medication may appear straightforward, but behind every dose is a complex series of steps where errors can still occur despite the best intentions of health-care professionals.

Nearly two decades after introducing a medication incident reporting system for nursing students, the University of Windsor is seeing evidence that its efforts to build a culture of safety are taking hold.

From Uganda to the delivery room: Nursing grad's perseverance leads to a career built on compassion

Aine Mugish at his nursing graduationUWindsor nursing graduate Aaron Aine now works as a registered nurse in labour and delivery after overcoming the challenges of immigrating to Canada, starting university during the pandemic and earning his Canadian citizenship while completing his degree. (SUBMITTED BY AARON AINE/University of Windsor)

By Sara Meikle

Just a few years ago, Aaron Aine imagined a very different future.

Growing up in Uganda, he studied history, economics and literature with plans to become a lawyer. Nursing was never part of the plan.

Everything changed after immigrating to Canada in 2019. Aine completed his final year of high school in Scarborough before enrolling in the University of Windsor's nursing program at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He was adapting to a new country, a new education system and a new way of learning all at once.

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Teach Tanzania trip offers lessons in humility, collaboration and mutual learning

smiling students and a UWindsor teacher candidate sitting in the grass in TanzaniaEducation, nursing and social work students spent three weeks on the annual Teach Tanzania service-learning trip (CLINTON BECKFORD/University of WIndsor)

By Kate Hargreaves 

When recent nursing graduate Eunice Kungu travelled to Tanzania as part of the University of Windsor’s 2026 Teach Tanzania trip, it was for the second time. 

Kungu, who is originally from Kenya, first participated in the 2025 trip when she was a third-year nursing student. When the opportunity arose to return in 2026, she knew she wanted to go back. 

“What motivated me to return was the connection we built with the community and seeing the positive impact that comes from being part of this initiative,” Kungu says. 

A legacy of care: New nursing scholarship honours Jo Anne Cedar’s lifelong commitment to care

Graduation photo of Jo Anne CedarJo Anne Cedar graduated the University of Windsor’s BScN nursing program in 1980, a moment that reflects the early beginnings of her lifelong commitment to care and community. (SUBMITTED BY THE CEDAR FAMILY/University of Windsor)

By Sara Meikle

For Jo Anne Cedar, nursing was never just a career — it was her identity.

A new scholarship established by the Cedar family at the University of Windsor Faculty of Nursing will ensure that the legacy of Cedar (BScN ’80, BA ’81) and her lifelong commitment to caring for others will continue to shape future generations of nurses.

How the UWindsor Faculty of Nursing is transforming its approach to Indigenous health education

Sara Williams stands with students in an an Indigenous simulation clinicProfessor Sara Williams and nursing students participate in an Indigenous-focused clinical simulation. Indigenous health content is integrated throughout the Faculty of Nursing curriculum as part of its ongoing commitment to Truth and Reconciliation. (SUBMITTED BY SARA WILLIAMS/University of Windsor)

By Sara Meikle

As Canada marks National Indigenous History Month and prepares to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, the University of Windsor is reflecting on the ongoing work of reconciliation taking place on campus.

Within the Faculty of Nursing, that commitment is being translated into meaningful action through curriculum transformation, community engagement and efforts to create a more equitable health-care system for Indigenous Peoples.

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.