Patrick LAVOIE, inf., Ph. D., Université de Montréal
Patrick Lavoie, RN PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Nursing at Université de Montréal and a research fellow at the Montreal Heart Institute. His research program embraces cognitive and sociocultural factors influencing nursing clinical judgment and decision-making, offering new insights into developing nursing competencies adapted to contemporary practice. His work, supported by prestigious grants and published in leading journals, advances pedagogical practices, particularly in francophone contexts. Lavoie’s ability to theorize and contextualize clinical decision-making has led to innovative strategies in preparing nurses from their early professional stages to expert-level practice, supporting their transition into critical care environments.
Lavoie is recognized for his leadership in interdisciplinary research collaborations. He is the scientific director of Équipe FUTUR, an inter-university research team focused on professional learning funded by the Fonds de recherche du Québec. In 2022, he received the Emerging Leader in Nursing Education and Midwifery award for his contributions to nursing education research. Internationally, he chairs a committee of the International Consortium for Outcomes of Nursing Education and serves on the editorial boards of Quality Advancement in Nursing Education – Avancées en formation infirmière and Nurse Education Today.
In addition to research, Lavoie has influenced nursing education policy, co-chairing the revision of the CASN’s national framework for baccalaureate education and advising the Quebec Ministry of Health on nurse practitioner competency frameworks. His mentorship has supported numerous students, many of whom have received prestigious scholarships and presented at international conferences. A champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Lavoie integrates these principles into his research and educational innovations, including his pioneering work with virtual reality, simulation, and eye-tracking technology to study clinical decision-making in critical care. His ongoing goal is to blend creativity, technology, pedagogy, and research rigour, ensuring that every advancement is grounded in a solid theoretical and philosophical foundation supporting the mission of nursing education.
Karin Page-Cutrara, PhD RN CCNE CCSNE, York University
Karin Page-Cutrara is an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream at the School of Nursing and is currently Vice Dean of Learning, Teaching and Academic Programs in the Faculty of Health at York University, in Toronto. Karin became involved in nursing education as a perioperative clinical nurse educator in 1994. She has influenced teaching-learning at the international, national, provincial, and local levels. She is a leader and in, and actively promotes, excellence in teaching through the Canadian Nurse Educator Certificate program and for the last decade, co-developed and co-taught the program modules for nurse educators in Canada and beyond. She has contributed to all three of CASN’s textbooks, as a co-editor, chapter contributor in two books, and as a reviewer, based on her breadth of knowledge and background in education theory and curriculum development, practice-based teaching, and in simulation. She has supported preparation of students for registration and contributed to Canadian nursing students’ success through co-editing the first Canadian NCLEX-RN review textbook and subsequent editions. Her work in simulation prebriefing has impacted teaching and student learning across borders and she is now authoring a new textbook for nursing students’ development of clinical reasoning, judgement and decision-making skills. Research involvement has ranged from those projects supporting internationally educated nurses, and nursing simulation and prebriefing, to program evaluation of nurse educator modules, and pedagogy that aids transition of students to university, for example. She has held multiple leadership roles that support teaching and learning, and recently co-chaired the Baccalaureate Section of the CASN National Nursing Education Framework revision. In her current position as Vice Dean, Karin applies knowledge and expertise from nursing education to professional and curriculum development across an array of health programs, to meet learner needs.
Kirsten Woodend, PhD, RN, Trent University, Emeritus
Kirsten has contributed to nursing education as a member of faculty, an academic administrator, through scholarly research, mentoring of both peers and students and through her work with organizations, such as the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing. As an academic administrator, at the University of Ottawa School of Nursing (Director and Associate Dean) and at the Trent Fleming School of Nursing (Dean) she was involved in the development of education policy, curriculum development and design, accreditation, and mentoring of both peers and students. She was also involved in nursing education policy through her work with the provincial group (COUPN), as a member of the board of the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing and its president from 2014 to 2016. Now retired, and Professor Emeritus at Trent, Kirsten continues to promote the transition of internationally educated nurses to RNs in Ontario as a member of the working group for the Ontario Internationally Educated Nurses Course Consortium. She continues to teach, mentor graduate students and has more time to work on her research