2016 COUPN Awards Recognize Nurses, Students and Educators for Excellence in Nursing Education and Scholarship

A nurse practitioner who works to improve the lives of young people with eating disorders, and a professor who counsels and empowers women who are genetically predisposed to breast cancer to make the best possible prevention decisions – these are just two examples of the recipients of the 2016 Council of Ontario University Programs in Nursing (COUPN) awards for excellence in nursing.

Each year, COUPN celebrates achievements in university nursing education through its annual COUPN Awards program. In all, eight awards of excellence will be presented to students, nursing faculty and staff during a ceremony tonight at the Chestnut Residence and Conference Centre in Toronto.

“We are proud to recognize the outstanding achievements of this year’s Council of Ontario University Programs in Nursing award winners – some of Ontario’s finest nurse educators, scholars, and students,” says Michelle Cyr, Director of the Office of Health Sciences at the Council of Ontario Universities (COU).

“These individuals exemplify the far-reaching impact of baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in Ontario, whether it is through innovative teaching that educates students for the workforce, groundbreaking research that leads to improvements in care for Ontario’s patients, or exemplary clinical education in partnership with placement agencies like hospitals, long-term care homes and community nursing organizations.”

The awards, which were created in 2008, focus on four key areas: excellence in teaching, innovation in research, student excellence and partnership support.

Winners of the 2016 COUPN awards are:

Doctoral Dissertation: Dr. Krista Keilty, University of Toronto

Excellence in Professional Nursing Practice at the Undergraduate Student Level: Karen Frecker, University of Toronto

Excellence in Teaching: Jason Kiernan, University of Windsor

Masters Student Award of Excellence: Jennifer Cohen, University of Toronto

Preceptor Recognition: Daniella Betteto, London Health Sciences Centre

Scholarship into Practice: Dr. Kelly Metcalfe, University of Toronto

Strategic Contribution to Nursing Education: Dr. Cynthia Baker, Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing

Teaching Innovation: Dr. Jasna K. Schwind, Ryerson University

You can read a description of the winners and their achievements here.

COUPN, an affiliate of COU, comprises the Deans and Directors of Ontario’s 14 university Schools of Nursing and works in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, to deliver the highest quality nursing education to prepare students for practice and to support the province in meeting its human health resource needs.

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COU is the voice of Ontario’s universities, promoting the value of education, research and innovation that leads to social, cultural and economic success.

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For further information, please contact:

Dayana Fraser
Senior Communications Officer
Council of Ontario Universities
416-979-2165 ext. 238
647-982-4311
dfraser@cou.on.ca