NESA Instructors
Meet the instructors in the Nursing Education in Southwestern Alberta (NESA) Program
Instructors below teach at the University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge Polytechnic, or both.
Danielle Aitkens, MSN, RN
Instructor
Lethbridge Polytechnic
danielle.aitkens@lethpolytech.ca
Areas of Teaching: Health of Families Theory, Lab, and Praxis Courses, Simulation-Based Education (SBE)
Areas of Interest/Scholarship: Pediatric Acute Care, SBE, Indigenous Health, Family Centered Care and Family Integrated Care (FiCare)
Karen Ander RN, BN, MScN
Instructor
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: Mental health and addictions, acute care, rehabilitation
Research Interests: Acute and chronic mental illness, concurrent disorders, mental health awareness and stigma reduction
Mieka Burbank, MN, RN
Instructor
Lethbridge Polytechnic
Areas of Teaching: Rural/sub-acute/acute care nursing
Research Interests: End-of-life/palliative care nursing and undergraduate education, rural nursing, simulation in undergraduate curricula
Aaron Burke
Gillian Comchi, MN, RN
Faculty
Lethbridge Polytechnic
gillian.comchi@lethbridgepolytech.ca
Areas of Teaching: NSG 2321 Health of Persons, NSG 2322 Praxis of Persons
Research Interests: Simulation, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Rural Nursing, Unregulated healthcare members
Chloe Crosschild
Stacey Clark, RN, BN, CCCI
Instructor
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: Praxis in Acuity, Praxis in Health Promotion, and History of Nursing.
Areas of Interest: Public Health, Newcomer Health, Rural Acute and Emergency Nursing
Jenn Davis
Kim Derksen
Trenna Devoy, RN, MN
Instructor
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: Mental Health and Addiction, Community Mental Health, Praxis in Health Promotion, Final Preceptorship
Research Interests: Acute and chronic mental illness, concurrent disorders and addiction, mental health awareness and stigma reduction, cultural safety in healthcare, nursing clinical education and simulation
Heather Dyck MSN, RN
Instructor
Lethbridge Polytechnic
Professional credentials: MSN, BSN, RN
Areas of Teaching: NSG 2421 (Health of Families), NSG 2422 (Praxis with Families), Pediatric clinicals, VR Clinical Experience
Research Interests: Women and Children’s Health, Nursing education, Virtual Reality
Teri Dyck MN, RN
Instructor
Lethbridge Polytechnic
Areas of Teaching: Year 1, Year 2, Year 1 After-Degree (NSG 1400 Becoming a Nurse, NSG 1410 Personal Health and Wholeness, NSG 1522 Introduction to Praxis, NSG 1500 Caring Communication, NSG 1521 Health Assessment, NSG 2300 Evidence in Praxis)
Research Interests: Teaching and Learning, Curriculum, Health and Wellness
Chantelle Fitton, MSc, RN, CCCI
Faculty
Lethbridge Polytechnic
chantelle.fitton@lethpolytech.ca
Areas of Teaching: Intersectionality, Personal Health & Wholeness, and Health of Persons Clinical in NESA, and Community Health Nursing in the Practical Nursing Program
Research Interests: Current research focuses on the ethics and politics of knowledge production, Indigenous epistemologies, and land-based relationality in settler colonial contexts
Current Grants:
- 2026 Alberta Nurses Educational Trust - Dr. Shannon Spenceley Lethbridge Legacy of Nursing Scholarship $6 000
- 2026 Alberta Colleges and Institutes Faculties Association Innovation in Teaching Award $1 500
- 2025-2026 Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship $15 000
- 2024-2025 Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship $15 000
- 2024-2028 University of Lethbridge Graduate Research Award $48 000
Cole Gilmer MN, RN, CCCI
Instructor
Lethbridge Polytechnic
Areas of Teaching: Year 1 (NSG 1410 Personal Health and Wholeness, NSG 1522 Introduction to Praxis, NSG 1521: Health assessment), Year 2 Praxis with persons, Virtual Reality Simulation.
Research interest: Addictions, nursing education, resilience, virtual reality, international development.
Katherine Haight
Bryde Henderson, she/her, MN-LPNP, RN
Instructor
Lethbridge Polytechnic
bryde.henderson@lethpolytech.ca
Areas of Teaching: First Year Theory and Second Year Praxis
Research Interests: Intersectionality, Advocacy, and Relational Teaching
Lana Healy
Lisa Johnson, RN, MSN
Simulation Health Centre Coordinator, Instructor
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: Acute Disruptions in Health, Praxis in Acuity Simulations, Professional Preceptorship
Research Interests: Simulation-Based Education, Rural Nursing, Digital Health, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
Madeline Kearns
Peter Kellett, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: research methods, leadership. men's health
Research Interests: Social Inequality and Health, Gendar and Health, Masculinities and Mental Health, Immigrant Health, Intersection of Gender, Migration, and Mental Health, 2SLGBTQ+ Health, Leadership, Men in Nursing, Health System Accessibility
Website: http://www.gapsinhealth.com
Wendi Lokanc-Diluzio
Morgan Magnuson RN, BN, MPH
Instructor
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: Community health, global health
Areas of Interest/Scholarship: Health promotion planning and evaluation
Bob Marthiensen MScN, RN
Instructor
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: Community health nursing theory and practice, leadership in nursing, and senior clinical consolidation
Areas of Interest/Scholarship: Self-care, personal health and wellness, stress management through the practice of mindfulness
Jenna McDonald
Instructor
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: Community Health, Health Promotion, Women and Health
Research Interests: Community health, women's health, perinatal health, childbirth, breastfeeding
Danielle McGregor
Bill McKay
Dianne Nolette
Benjamin Northcott, MN RN CCNE
NESA Faculty
Lethbridge Polytechnic
benjamin.northcott@lethpolytech.ca
Areas of Teaching: Medical/Surgical, Rural, Professional Identity, Intersectionality
Research Interests: Effective Classroom and Clinical Teaching in Nursing, Curriculum Design and Evaluation
Tracy Oosterbroek, PhD, RN
Associate Professor
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: Historical, professional, and global health issues, research methodologies, rural nursing, acute med/surg, preceptorship.
Areas of Interest/Scholarship: My current research projects focus on factors relevant to nursing education with a special interest in rurality, and trauma informed care including trauma informed interventions and harm reduction from a lens that supports and encourages equity, diversity, ad inclusion (EDI)
Nicolina Pitcher
Instructor
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: Community Praxis, Global Health, Global Health & Nursing Leadership, Professional Preceptorship
Areas of Interest: Community Health, Community Nursing, Global Health, Planetary Health, Climate Change
Cyrena Quinn
Monique Sedgwick, PhD, RN
Full Professor
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: Senior Preceptorship, Ethics and Qualitative research (Graduate level)
Areas of Interest/Scholarship: Projects in rural nursing practice including Internationally Educated Nurses in rural practice, and nursing education including preceptorship.
Melissa Schalk
Instructor
Lethbridge Polytechnic
melissa.schalk@lethpolytech.ca
Areas of Teaching: Maternal-Child clinical, Women and Children’s Health nursing care
Areas of Interest: Obstetrics, Women and Children’s Health and Family Centered Care
Shannon Seitz
Faculty
Lethbridge Polytechnic
shannon.seitz@lethpolytech.ca
Areas of Teaching: Health Assessment, Adult population with stable/acute/chronic conditions interacting within the healthcare system, clinical assisted living, rural and urban instructing experience
Research Interests: Evidence based care for seniors, organ donation, student success, nursing student success, nursing student growth, teaching practices
Claudia Steinke, BSc, MSc, PhD
Tara Vande Griend, BScN, MScN, RN, CCSNE
Instructor
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: Simulation Health Centre, NURS 3321 Lab, NURS 3322 Simulation
Shannon Vandenberg, RN, PhD, CCHN, CCNE, CCCI
Instructor
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: Praxis in Health Promotion, Global Health Nursing, Nursing Leadership and Global Health, Professional Preceptorship, Teaching and learning for health professions
Research Interests: Dr. Vandenberg's program of research focuses on nursing preparedness for complex and emerging health challenges at the intersection of planetary health, nursing education, workforce sustainability, and health equity. She is committed to advancing research that informs nursing education, practice, policy, and advocacy, while improving health outcomes for equity-deserving populations and supporting the development of a resilient, socially accountable nursing workforce.
Current and Recent Grants:
An analysis of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nursing students toward climate-driven vector borne diseases, WNRCASN ($500,000) Role: Principal Investigator
An exploration of community health nursing student placements working with marginalized populations through a health equity lens, GRF - Dr. J Doan ($3240) Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Laura Vogelsang RN, PhD, CCNE, CCCI, CMSN(C)
Associate Professor (Tenure-Track)
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: Praxis and the Digital Age, Teaching and Learning in Nursing, Medical-Surgical Nursing
Research Interests: Digital Health, Artificial Intelligence, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Jason Wengel
Penni Wilson, MSc(N), RN
Instructor
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: Community health nursing, global health
Areas of Interest/Scholarship: Public health, environmental health, health promotion
Bernadine Wojtowicz, RN, MSc(N)
Instructor
University of Lethbridge
Areas of Teaching: Mental health, research methodology, global health, contemporary issues
Areas of Interest/Scholarship: Moral distress, crisis intervention, addictions/mental health, chronic mental health