Celebrating Queen’s School of Nursing COUPN award recipients

| 23 Apr 2024

Four School of Nursing (SON) instructors, graduate students, and preceptors have received awards from the Council of Ontario University Programs in Nursing (COUPN).

Across Queen's undergraduate and graduate nursing programs, Anne Marie Levac, Dr. Martha Whitfield, Amber Johnson, and Patty Jansen were recognized for their outstanding contributions to scholarship, education, and the broader nursing community. 

“A robust health-care system is critical to improving the health and lives of Ontarians and building stronger communities,” says Dr. Sandra Carroll, COUPN Chair. “As we mark the 17th year of the Council of Ontario University Programs in Nursing (COUPN) Awards, it is a pleasure to honour the commitment, inventiveness, enthusiasm, and professionalism of students, faculty, researchers, preceptors, and partner organizations associated with Ontario’s University nursing programs.”

The Council of Ontario University Programs in Nursing (COUPN) Awards celebrate achievements and advancements made in university nursing education and scholarship. The awards are presented to Ontario nursing faculty, students, and nursing program partners who are putting the knowledge gained at Ontario’s universities into practice in our communities.

Learn more about our 2024 COUPN Awards winners:

Anne Marie Levac, Clinical Instructor Award

headshot of Anne Marie Levac Recognized for knowledge-based practice in Mental Health and Community Nursing, Anne Marie Levac is acknowledged by her students and colleagues for her unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive and nurturing learning environment. She challenges students to increase their knowledge base and critical thinking skills while maintaining professionalism, compassion, and sensitivity.

One student fondly shares, “Anne Marie was an exceptional support system, she would not just check in with me about my learning experience within mental health but also my own. She was an excellent advocate for the profession and made me excited to become a nurse. Her dedication to nursing practice and teaching has inspired me to think about a future career as a mental health nurse”.

Lifelong learning is a cornerstone of Levac’s teaching philosophy which she embodies by consistently seeking professional development and paying attention to emerging evidence-based practices and the evolving landscape of nursing.

Dr. Martha Whitfield, Doctoral Dissertation Award

headshot of Martha Whitfield We celebrate Dr. Martha Whitfield with the Doctoral Dissertation Award for her impactful doctoral dissertation on the role of Nurse Practitioners in the treatment of opioid use disorder in primary care settings.

She was awarded a Young Investigator’s Travel Award by the National Institute of Drug Abuse for her doctoral work which she will present at the American Association of Addiction Medicine Annual Conference. Findings from her doctoral dissertation have generated one published manuscript with another under review, as well as research presentations at ten conferences. These impressive outputs demonstrate Dr. Whitfield’s deep commitment to not only her research but to dissemination, reaching a wide variety of audiences who may benefit from her findings.

Dr. Whitfield holds a position as Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Vermont and continues her rural primary care clinical practice.

Amber Johnson, Master’s Student Award of Excellence

headshot of Amber Johnson Amber Johnson is recognized for her significant contributions to the nursing community in both scholarship and teaching.

Johnson’s dissertation focuses on the lived experiences of Public Health Nurses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and bridges a significant knowledge gap in Canadian public health. Her own experience as a public health nurse drove her engagement with this topic. Her research findings represent a critical first step towards accumulating evidence to bolster the development of policies to support public health nurses in the future.

As a graduate student, she has also demonstrated a commitment to teaching excellence, promoting interdisciplinary education and compassionate learning in nursing classrooms. She is a clinical instructor and teaching assistant within the Queen’s School of Nursing and received her Master’s of Nursing Science and defended her thesis in the summer of 2023.

Amber is currently completing a PHCNP post-master’s diploma program at Queen’s where she continues to excel academically.

Patty Jansen, Preceptor Recognition Award

headshot of Patty Jansen Patty Jansen has devoted over 15 years to mentorship and teaching, demonstrating the highest standards of nursing education and practice as a hospital community liaison nurse within the Pediatric Oncology Program at Kingston Health Sciences Centre.

Jansen remains diligently attuned to the evolving landscape of patient care, consistently updating her knowledge of treatment protocols, funding dynamics, and resources available to her patients and their families. With an individualized approach to student mentorship, she tailors her teaching methodologies to accommodate the diverse learning needs of each student, ensuring that their educational journey is fulfilling and enriching. Jansen is widely recognized for her enthusiasm towards teaching and takes genuine delight in celebrating her students’ achievements.

Jansen is celebrated for her attention to student wellbeing, particularly in her commitment to supporting learners through challenging clinical experiences within the pediatric oncology clinic.

Read the full list of COUPN 2024 Award recipients on the Ontario Universities website.

Blog

Celebrating Queen’s School of Nursing COUPN award recipients

Anne Marie Levac, Clinical Instructor Award

Dr. Martha Whitfield, Doctoral Dissertation Award

Amber Johnson, Master’s Student Award of Excellence

Patty Jansen, Preceptor Recognition Award

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