Nursing Feed
Excellence in nursing education a focus for administrator
Edward Cruz began a five-year appointment as associate dean for undergraduate programs in the Faculty of Nursing effective July 1.
Dr. Cruz has been a faculty member at the University of Windsor since 2018 and was granted tenure and promotion to associate professor in July 2023.
Cruz is internationally-educated, having received his education in Canada, the Philippines, and Japan. In Canada, he has worked in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and Southwestern Ontario; he brings nearly 20 years of experience in the field of nursing.
Prior to joining University of Windsor, Cruz held teaching, curriculum development, and leadership positions at Centennial College in Toronto, including:
- acting chair – Child and Family Studies
- program co-ordinator – Internationally Educated Nurse Bridging Programs and Health Foundations; RPN to BScN Bridging to University Nursing
- full-time college faculty – practical nursing, IEN bridging, RPN to BScN, and BScN programs
- member and co-chair – Research Ethics Board
Most recently, Cruz received the national Golden Balangay Educator of the Year Award, which celebrates the success and contributions of an exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable, and active Filipino Canadian educator. The award highlights commitment to inspiring and empowering students to achieve their academic and social potential, while making significant contributions to their local community.
“Dr. Cruz makes all of us at the Faculty of Nursing Windsor proud,” says dean of nursing Debbie Sheppard-LeMoine. “We are excited to welcome his leadership impact on our undergraduate program, students, and faculty team.”
Cruz’s core research centres around social care, health human resources, interprofessional collaboration, and nursing education. He advocates for improved education and career transitioning initiatives that promotes positive experiences and enhanced quality of life for internationally educated nurses.
He envisions an undergraduate program that fosters excellence by graduating resilient nursing professionals equipped to address health, social justice, and equity issues locally and globally.
Cruz expresses gratitude for the support of and mentorship from Susan Fox, who completed her second term as associate dean.
Alumna reflects on 35 years in health care and path to leadership
Nursing grad Karen Riddell is acting president and CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital.
Karen Riddell (BSN 1989) always knew she wanted to help people. With 35 years of health-care experience spanning regions and roles, from frontline nursing to senior leadership, she has been able to do just that.
Riddell, who is now serving as the acting president and CEO and chief nursing executive at Windsor Regional Hospital, said she considered several careers, including dental hygiene, marine biology, and veterinary medicine, before choosing to follow in the footsteps of her grandmother and pursue nursing.
“One of the things that I liked about nursing was you could have a lot of career opportunities, and it didn’t lock you into one geographic area or one particular job,” she said. “There were a lot of different things that you could do throughout your career.”
After graduating from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Riddell worked as a nurse in Michigan before moving to northern Ontario and then British Columbia, where she gained her first administrative experience in health care.
“When I first graduated, I had no interest in becoming an administrator or a manager. I really loved bedside nursing,” she said. “But while I was on the west coast, I was working on a brand-new unit and a lot of the staff were very junior. By that point, I had only been working for about five years myself, but I saw some gaps and supports that were available.”
She worked on developing educational resources for staff over a few months, and from there Riddell moved into the position of clinical educator and resource nurse for the hospital where she was working.
She moved back to Windsor, where she returned to work as a frontline nurse before advancing into management at Windsor Regional. She held the roles of chief nursing executive and vice-president before taking on her current position as acting president and CEO.
Riddell is the first woman and nurse to hold the top job at the hospital.
“I think it’s a really neat thing that there are more and more women becoming CEOs,” she shared. “When you look at health care in general, about 90 per cent of the workforce is female, but a much smaller percentage in leadership is female, so it’s nice to see that balancing more. I believe now more than 50 per cent of the CEOs in Ontario are women, which is a great thing from an equity and nursing perspective.”
She added, “Having someone with a health care background in leadership brings a unique perspective to the role.”
With experience at various hospitals and in different roles, Riddell said she values the insights she has gained from working with other practitioners. From a management perspective, she always considers what is important to frontline workers and patients, and how each decision will impact them.
“We always strive to do the best that we can. Of course, there are constraints in our system, but we do the best we can with the resources that we have. It is a huge challenge, and I think understanding how we can work better with our frontline because really, they’re the key to delivering the best care possible,” she said.
One of the biggest takeaways from her extensive career, Riddell said, is to “never say never” and to embrace new challenges.
“I feel very lucky in my chosen career. I’ve worked with amazing people and continue to work with amazing people in my career, and I couldn’t recommend a better profession, whether it’s nursing, specifically, or just health care in general,” Riddell noted. “It’s incredibly hard, but it’s incredibly rewarding.”
Alumni Week opens today with the Black Alumni Weekend and continue Saturday with the Lancer football game and tailgate party. Find a full schedule of Alumni Week activities.
Provincial programs seeks to reduce nursing vacancies
Nursing graduate Melissa Mastroianni stands outside Windsor Regional Hospital - Met Campus, where she has started a permanent position on the oncology ward, on June 14. Photo by Dax Melmer.
For recent UWindsor nursing graduate Melissa Mastroianni (BScN 2024), enticing job opportunities know no boundaries — literally.
Mastroianni could have chosen to live in Windsor and work in Detroit, but opted to stay at the oncology unit at Windsor Regional Hospital before she graduated in May.
An “externship” that offers nursing students $20.60 an hour while providing hands-on experience introduced her to the department.
“I really fell in love with the environment on the oncology floor,” says Mastroianni. “There’s nurses that have worked there for 20 years and you can see that they’re still affected by what they do and that they care so much.”
The provincial government funds the externships as well as a $25,000 signing bonus — both measures aimed at reducing nursing vacancies. The programs have significantly lowered the nursing vacancy rate at Windsor Regional, from a high of 12.5 per cent in 2021 to 2.7 per cent by April 2024.
Employers from both sides of the border have considerable incentives for nursing professionals. Detroit hospitals offer competitive pay on a strong U.S. dollar, full-time positions, and flexible schedules; Windsor hospitals also offer signing bonuses, and much longer maternity leave policies.
The externship program, which became permanent in 2021, has helped to recruit and retain numerous nursing students. Additionally, the Community Commitment Program for Nurses has attracted both new graduates and experienced nurses from the U.S. by offering substantial bonuses for committing to full-time positions in Ontario.
While the allure of working in Detroit hospitals has inherent benefits, Windsor Regional has successfully leveraged the provincial programs to bolster its nursing staff, demonstrating a viable model for addressing nurse shortages in other Canadian hospitals in similar situations.
Read the full original news article in the Globe and Mail, “How a pair of provincial efforts helped stem Windsor’s nursing exodus,” by health reporter Kelly Grant.
Unique pilot project pairs ER nurses with police
A unique pilot program in Canada is pairing ER nurses with police officers to address the pressure on healthcare systems and improve response to mental health crises. This collaboration allows nurses to accompany police on mental health-related calls, providing immediate medical and psychological support on the scene.
This approach not only aims to alleviate the burden on emergency departments but also ensures that individuals in crisis receive timely and appropriate care, potentially reducing the need for hospitalization and improving overall outcomes.
UWindsor Faculty of Nursing alumnus, Abbas Haidar (BScN 2018), is part of the program that reflects a broader trend in healthcare and law enforcement to build trust and enhance safety through integrated, community-based approaches. By training both police and nurses in de-escalation techniques and situational awareness, the program seeks to prevent violence and improve interactions between law enforcement and the community.
Nursing professor Laurie Freeman hopes to study the program, and notes that she couldn’t find its equal in any published research.
View "The Globe and Mail" full article
News article courtesy Kelly Grant, Health Reporter at "The Globe and Mail"
Community Partnership
Expert on inequities in health care aims to empower Black and racialized students
UWindsor alumna Bukola Salami highlighted the role of race and racism in the educational experience as part of Faculty of Nursing’s “Dean’s Intentional Conversations” speaker series.
Newly appointed vice-president of Canadian Nurses Association and UWindsor nursing alumna Bukola Salami (BScN 2004) delivered a presentation on leadership and mentorship for Black and racialized students and youth as part of the Faculty of Nursing’s “Dean’s Intentional Conversations” speaker series on June 12.
According to Dr. Salami, Black and racialized people face challenges such as racism, discrimination, microaggressions, and employment inequality. These factor into negative economic outcomes for Black and racialized youth that inhibit their participation in society.
Salami detailed her experiences and discussed methodologies on leadership in the profession. She encouraged racialized individuals to set a positive mindset and tone, manage mental health, create a network of mentors and trusted colleagues, engage actively in support groups, understand administrative policies in place, and understand their rights.
Academically and professionally, Salami emphasized the importance of appreciating opportunities, and the value of grant-writing and research publications for the advancement of knowledge, academic and professional growth, improvement of patient care, policy influence, collaborative opportunities, and professional responsibility.
Salami explained how the role of mentorship builds confidence, self-esteem, influences career paths, and provides a sense of belonging for Black and racialized youths while empowering them with leadership skills, and positive cultural identity.
She elaborated on how good leadership is based on a long-term vision focused on people and processes. Strong guidance promotes patient and staff satisfaction and aims to improve retention of healthcare personnel.
Participants were encouraged to focus on their long-term goals in a systematic manner and ensure that their efforts align with a strategy.
The full presentation is available for download as a PDF file from the nursing website.