Work your way through these photos and hints (click the arrow on the right to advance forward) to reveal the identities of four nursing leaders who have propelled the profession to new heights, and played a role in the evolution of RNAO's BPG and BPSO programs.
This nurse leader immigrated to Canada from Tanzania. She says her education (BScN, RNEC, master’s degree and PhD) helped her to understand how evidence informs problem solving.
After a full year without anyone in this government role (her predecessor held the title from 2018-2021), she assumed the position in August 2022, after it was upgraded at the insistence of RNAO to an assistant deputy minister level. With these invigorated powers, the role is much broader and holds a substantive portfolio in the public service.
In her public service role, she was involved in announcements about the expansion of nursing seats in Ontario’s post-secondary institutions, for which RNAO and the Council of Universities advocated. She was also involved in the November 2023 announcement about RN prescribing, supporting RNAO’s long-standing advocacy. In an address to our assembly of leaders during the February 2023 RNAO Queens Park Day, she said RN prescribing would happen “…if I have anything to do with it.”
Dr. Karima Velji is Ontario’s Chief of Nursing and Professional Practice and Assistant Deputy Minister with the Ministry of Health.
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In 1998-1999, when RNAO’s BPG program was getting off the ground, this Concordia University nursing graduate and then executive director of nursing policy at Health Canada led RNAO as its 45th president.
She was voted one of Canada’s most powerful women in 2009 by the Women’s Executive Network, a national organization that celebrates women across a variety of sectors.
A past president of RNAO, the Canadian Nurses Association (2010-2012) and the International Council of Nurses (2013-2017), this RNAO Honourary Life Member (2004) worked hand-in-hand with RNAO’s CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun to advance RNAO’s BPG program. She was the inaugural chair of RNAO’s NQuIRE® International Advisory Council (IAC) from 2013 to 2017 (read more about IAC and NQuiRE).
Dr. Judith Shamian (right) was and remains a staunch supporter of RNAO’s BPG program and its BPSO social movement of science. While at Health Canada, she funded the translation of RNAO BPGs into French.
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After graduating from the University of Toronto’s nursing program, this RN worked in acute care before joining RNAO to help establish a new and exciting ministry-funded program that would focus on evidence-based care and the creation of best practices for nursing.
With only one RNAO staff member to help, this former critical care RN worked hand-in-hand with CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun to develop, pilot test and publish the first four RNAO BPGs between 2000 and 2002.
During her tenure as director (the first) of RNAO’s Nursing Best Practice Guidelines Program (1998-2007) (now IABPG), she created and launched some of the events that are still running today, including the annual BPSO symposium, which just celebrated its 18th year in 2023 (read more about the symposium).
Dr. Tazim Virani brought together an impressive roster of expert panelists to inform 17 BPGs for publication during her tenure (there are now more than 50), and enlisted thousands of champions to use the association’s first “toolkit” to implement them (read more about champions). She is now in a leadership role at SE Health (formerly known as Saint Elizabeth), one of the founding BPSOs.
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This high-profile nursing leader, who completed her nursing degree at McMaster University and PhD at the University of Toronto, was once a manager for RNAO’s Centre for Professional Nursing Excellence (now IABPG) (2007-2012). In this role, she facilitated education programs for nurses, including Methadone Maintenance and Treatment BPG champions workshops.
Prior to assuming her position at the federal government’s decision-making table in August 2022, she was director of clinical services for Inner City Health Associates (2019-2021), a program for people experiencing homelessness in Toronto during the pandemic. In this role, she drew on personal experience as motivation to help the city’s most vulnerable.
Her brother, Bradley, died from an opioid overdose in August 2015, and she used her knowledge and power as a nurse to raise awareness of how poorly the health system was doing at the time to address overdose deaths. It has since become an epidemic and garnered the attention it deserves.
Dr. Leigh Chapman is Canada’s Chief Nursing Officer, the first since the role was eliminated by then Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2012. In this role, she can use her knowledge and skills as a seasoned nurse to further propel the profession.