Department of Practical Nursing

I am a full-time vocational nursing instructor at Okanagan College for the Vernon and Salmon Arm Campus. I started my academic career in 2009, where I was employed as a relief instructor for the program. This inspired me to continue to advance my skills and nursing experience and was pleased to be appointed into a full time position in 2016. Prior to my role in nursing education, I worked as a Registered Nurse in various roles which included Care Management and Emergency Nursing. Upon graduation, I completed the Advanced Critical Care Nursing Course at the University of Alberta, specializing in Emergency Care. I relocated to the Okanagan in 2007 and have enjoyed its' recreation and the scenic outdoor life it has to offer. Currently, with over 20 years of nursing experience, I remain passionate about the nursing profession, and am proud to share my knowledge and expertise as a Nurse Educator at Okanagan College.

Credentials:
ENC Advanced Critical Care Nursing Course Certificate, Mount Royal College, U of A
Diploma, Nursing, Grant MacEwan University

I am currently working as an instructor in the practical nursing program at Okanagan College on the KLO campus. Additionally, I continue to work as a practicing primary care RN in acute care. I enjoy spending time with my friends and family and maintain an active lifestyle.

Credentials:
RN, OUC
BHScN, Charles Sturt

I am an instructor in the Practical Nursing program at the Penticton campus. I am also a full-time PhD student at the University of Alberta studying nursing faculties' use of digital and informatic tools and the development of students' informatics competencies.

Credentials:
MScN, Nursing, Universite de Montreal

Hi, I am Amanda. I am a Registered Nurse, and have been practicing for the last 17 years. I started out working (and spent the majority of my career) up in Northern Alberta. That little rural facility I started in would be the basis of my nursing career, where I grew and thrived as a Nurse. Nursing is my passion, and will always be in my core being, but that passion for nursing quickly grew into a passion for teaching others how to be the best nurse they could be. I was drawn to orienting new staff, new grads, introducing them to Rural Nursing and that quickly flourished into being awarded the Nurse Educator role in that facility. Now with only 5 years of experience under my belt as a nurse, and absolutely no teaching background, I knew I had to step it up and learn how to adequately support and grow our nurses up in that little community. It was mostly trial and error how I acquired my experience in teaching and mentoring adults in the hospital settings, which I loved because with every new nurse came a new challenge of how to get them to embrace this career, and support them as they grew into the nurses I knew they were. Now during this new Educator career path, I had 2 children. Becoming a mother was another learning curve for me, and let’s be real, for anyone. I have a girl (12 years old), and a boy (9 years old). They are the centre of my world, and are quick to keep me on my toes with their ever growing personalities and passions (currently which are baseball and volleyball). Now we stayed up in the North until 5 years ago, when we made the big step of relocating to the Okanagan area. This is where I managed to capture a job opportunity with the Okanagan College in the Nursing department and took my nursing and educational skills to the next level. I love working with the eager, ambitious students, to help them become the nurse I know they can be, watch them flourish throughout the program, and am proud to see them confidently walk into the world of Health Care.

Credentials:
BSc, Nursing, University of Alberta
RN, University of Alberta

I have been a vocational instructor with the Practical Nursing program at Okanagan College since 2014. I have many years of related, medical/surgical/pediatric and intensive care nursing experience, that I utilize to bring "life" to my classes. Teaching adult students is an absolute pleasure, especially as it involves an area in which I am passionate. I look toward each semester with enthusiasm, and wonder, "what will I learn from my students today."

Credentials:
BSc, Nursing, University of Victoria
RN, Douglas College

Over the past three decades I have worked as as a nurse in three provinces/territories, and in a wide variety of clinical areas and administrative settings including acute/critical care, air ambulance, public health, administration long term care and community-based pediatrics. Prior to joining the Okanagan College Practical Nursing program, I taught nursing at Aurora College (BSN program) as well as online for UVic (post-RN) and TRU-Open Learning (Return to RN practice program).

Credentials:
MAEd, Leadership, SDSU
BSN, University of Victoria
RN diploma, VGH SON

I graduated as an RN in 2002 and worked in Toronto for 10 years as an oncology nurse and nursing instructor with the University of Toronto. In 2011 I decided to move to a warmer climate to the land where palm trees sway, and assumed a position in the faculty of Nursing at the University of Hawai'i on the beautiful island of Oahu. After 4 years my family and I were ready to return to Canadian soil. I started in 2019 as an instructor teaching in the first 3 semesters of the PN program, and I'm happy to now call the Okanagan and Okanagan College home.

Credentials:
MN, Teaching focus, Athabasca University
BN, University of Manitoba

My career as an educator began in 1989. My past experiences include various positions with IHA in patient and staff education, and as an instructor with OUC in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. I am currently an instructor with the Practical Nursing Diploma program at Okanagan College.

Credentials:
BSc, Mathematics and Economics, UNBC

I have been a nurse for 29 years and teaching at OC in the Practical Nursing program for 16 years. I still work both in the acute care setting as well as teaching. I feel my presence in the acute care setting as an active duty nurse is beneficial to my work at the college. I am able to stay current and can relate stories to the students that are relevant to their learning. I am very grateful to have a career that I am passionate about!

Credentials:
RN/BSN Okanagan College

I graduated from Okanagan University College with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. My nursing career path first led me to work at a local hospital for many years and during this time my interest in working with nursing students developed and became part of my everyday nursing practice. I began working with nursing students during their clinical practice experience and today at Okanagan College in Practical Nursing Program I am actively teaching in the classroom, lab and clinical setting. Areas of my work that bring me joy are experiential simulation and seeing our OC graduates in the practice setting!

Credentials:
Bachelor of Science in Nursing

I graduated with honors in nursing in 1995. Previous work as a Registered Nurse includes surgical nursing, post-partum and currently (past 12 years) GI Endoscopy. I began teaching in the Practical Nursing Program September 2015. Completed my PIDP in 2018. I love teaching and being able to share my passion for my profession with nursing students.

Credentials:
Registered Nurse, Medicine Hat College

My background in nursing began at the UBC hospital in neurological medicine. I then moved to the Orthopedic, opthalmology and dental surgery unit. I spent time at Saint Paul's on all units before moving to Children's Hospital to join the Adolescent medical surgical unit. I fell in love with this unit at BCCH as a student there. I began teaching in the LPN program in 2006 at Vancouver Community College, moved to the Okanagan in 2010 and joined the LPN instructor team here in Kelowna.

Credentials:
BScN, UBC Vancouver

I am happy to have joined the OC Practical Nursing team in 2014. Prior to joining the College, I worked in long-term care, emergency, medical, forensics and rural nursing. Education has been one of my most rewarding experiences - I really enjoy helping people meet their goals and I look forward to meeting new students!

Credentials:
MScN, Nursing, UBCO
RN, BN, Nursing Athabasca University

I have been teaching for Okanagan College in the Practical Nursing Program since 2007 and have seen many positive changes over this time. I am interested in program development and value relationships fostered with students and community partners over the years.

Credentials:
MN, Nursing, University of Southern Queensland

I have been a Vocational Instructor in the Practical Nursing program at Okanagan College since 2015. I started off my nursing career becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse and worked as a float pool nurse in a hospital in the lower mainland. After a year and a half I bridged into the Nursing Program at Douglas College. My Nursing specialty is in perinatal, working in Calgary, AB, at two different hospitals and at Kelowna General as a casual since 2015. Teaching has always been a passion of mine and I really enjoy supporting my students in their journey of becoming a nurse.

Credentials:
RN, BSN, IBCLC