NLN.ON Research Award
Caroline Variath is a PhD candidate in nursing with a collaborative specialization in bioethics at the University of Toronto. She teaches undergraduate nursing students at the University of New Brunswick and Humber IATL collaborative Bachelor of Nursing program. During her 16-year nursing career, she experienced end-of-life care needs of patients often being overlooked, especially for those with a loss of decision-making capacity. Her overall goals are to improve the care that patients receive at the end of life. As such, her PhD thesis focuses on experiences with the loss of capacity to consent and access to medical assistance in dying in Canada. The findings from her study will inform policies and guidelines concerning advance consent for MAiD and end-of-life care in Canada and globally. She believes strong nursing leadership is necessary to changing society’s and healthcare providers’ perceptions of death as a failure and improving the end-of-life experience for patients and their families. Nurse leaders can advocate on behalf of patients on policies and guidelines such as advance care planning; coordinate the involvement of interdisciplinary teams to ensure holistic approaches to end-of-life care that also considers family members’ needs; facilitate education and awareness for healthcare team members on all available end-of-life care options.
Dorothy Wyle Graduate Education Award
Danielle Gray is a Registered Nurse who works in professional conduct. Danielle has experience in scheduling, general surgery, infectious diseases and Public Health. She is nearing completion of her of Master of Nursing – Health Systems Leadership and Administration degree at the University of Toronto. Her goal is to enact change as a leader in Canadian healthcare system and nursing profession. Danielle also has diplomas in marketing and business administration. She has a keen interest in mentorship, professional practice, health care leadership, health policy, public health and infectious diseases.