Shannon Vandenberg

Dr. Shannon Vanderberg is the Assistant Dean of Nursing at the Faculty of Health Sciences, as well as an instructor for our Nursing program at the University of Lethbridge. She brings many years of experience in the nursing field, and has published a vast amount of publications and book chapters focused on her research interests that include health challenges and nursing preparedness. Below is a description about her professional experience and passion to motivate students to strive for success. 

Education:

• PhD - Population Studies in Health (Nursing), University of Lethbridge '24
• MSc - Nursing, University of Lethbridge '13
• Bachelor of Nursing, University of Lethbridge '08

Professional Experience & Certifications:

Dr. Shannon Vanderberg's professional work include years as a Public Health Nurse from 2008 to 2014, where she was responsible for the provision of Public Health Nursing Services for individuals, families, groups and the community. These services included: Communicable Disease Control, School Health, Family Health, Travel Health, Maternal/Infant Post-partum Follow-up, Immunization, Breastfeeding Support, Pandemic Planning, and Health Promotion & Community Development Initiatives.

Dr. Vanderberg's professional certifications are listed below:

• Canadian Certified Clinical Instructor – 2020 to present
• Canadian Certified Nurse Educator – 2017 to present
• Canadian Certified Community Health Nurse – 2015 to present
• Registered Nurse (College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta) – 2008 to present 

Teaching Experience:

Dr. Shannon Vanderberg has been instructing at the University of Lethbridge since 2010, and her philosophy statement is as follows:

I believe that learning is a lifelong journey and that education plays a vital role in shaping not only students’ knowledge and skills but also their professional identity, values, and character. Guided by my personal and professional motto, “I am still learning,” I am committed to continuous growth and strive to model lifelong learning through ongoing professional development and scholarly engagement. As an educator, I aim to foster curiosity, critical reflection, and a growth mindset, empowering students to become accountable healthcare professionals who are committed to learning throughout their careers.

A list of the courses she has taught is also listed below: 

• NURS 4922: Professional Preceptorship
• NURS 4750: Senior Clinical Consolidation
• NURS 4520: Nursing Practice – Community Health Nursing Practice Experience
• NURS 4135: Global Health Issues and Trends
• NURS 3610: Nursing Leadership and Global Health
• NURS 3300: Nursing and Global Health
  NURS 3135: Nursing Leadership
• NURS 3100: Leadership and Change
• NURS 3022: Praxis in Health Promotion
• HLSC 3800: Teaching and Learning for Health Professions

She is also open to supervising graduate students interested in planetary health, nursing education research, and harm reduction.

Areas of Expertise & Research Interests: 

Dr. Vanderberg's Areas of expertise are listed below: 

• Public Health Nursing
• Community Health Nursing
• Planetary Health
• Climate-Driven Infectious Diseases
• Nursing Education/Curriculum Development
• Harm Reduction
• Immunization Practices, Beliefs & Understanding

Her 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:

Principal Investigator (2026 – Ongoing)

An analysis of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nursing students toward climate-driven vector borne diseases

• Investigators: Orel, E. (RA)
• Funding source: WNRCASN
• ($5,000)

Co-Principal Investigator (2024 – Ongoing)

An exploration of community health nursing student placements working with marginalized populations through a health equity lens

• Investigators: Magunson, M., Vogelsang, L.
• Funding source: GRF - Dr. J Doan
• ($3,240)

Co-Principal Investigator (2024 – Ongoing)

The Impact of Community Health Nursing Student Placements Working with Marginalized Populations Through a Health Equity Lens

• Investigators: Magunson, M. Vogelsang, L.
• Funding source: University of Lethbridge Research Fund
• ($13,121)

Chief Investigator (2023 – 2025)

Barriers and facilitators to substance use harm reduction services in Lethbridge, Alberta.

• Investigators: Magunson, M., Oosterbroek, T. Dey, K.
• Funding source: CRISM Prairies Node Research Development Grant
• ($12,500)

Chief Investigator (2023 – 2024)

Exploring the use of icebreakers in nursing education: Helpful or harmful

• Investigators: Magunson, M., Vogelsang, L.
• Funding source: WNRCASN
• ($5,000)

Recent Publications:

• Vandenberg, S., Y., Oosterbroek, T., Chircop, A., & Kellett, P. (2025). Registered nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward climate-sensitive vector-borne diseases: Findings from a cross-sectional survey. Public Health Nursing, 43(2), 330–345. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.70035. 
• Vogelsang, L., Vandenberg, S., Magnuson, M. (2025). Exploring Icebreakers in Nursing Education through a Mixed-Methods Research Design: Helpful or Harmful? Quality Advancement in Nursing Education, 11(3), https://doi.org/10.17483/ 
• Vandenberg, S., Oosterbroek, T., Kellett, P., & Chircop, A. (2025). A cross-sectional study on Indigenous nurses’ knowledge and perceptions toward planetary health challenges. International Journal of Indigenous Health, 21(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.32799/ijih.v21i1.45562 
• Vandenberg, S., Oosterbroek, T., Chircop, A., & Kellett, P. (2025). Planetary health: A pragmatic theoretical framework for nursing education, research, and practice. Nurse Education Today, 153, 106808. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2025.106808. 
• Magnuson, M., Vandenberg, S., Oosterbroek, T., Dey, K. (2025). “We’ve lost a lot of lives:” the impact of the closure of North America’s busiest supervised consumption site on people who use substances and the organizations that work with them. Harm Reduction Journal, 22(98), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-025-01251-7 
• Vandenberg, S., Oosterbroek, T., Chircop, A., & Kellett, P. (2024). A Call to Action: The Role of Nurses in Canada in Addressing Climate-Sensitive Vector-Borne Diseases. Quality Advancement in Nursing Education, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.17483/2368-6669.1434 
• Vandenberg, S., Avanthay Strus, J., Chircop, A., & Egert, A. (2024). Planetary health in nursing: A scoping review. Journal of Advanced Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16570 
• Magnuson, M., Vandenberg, S., & Vogelsang, L. (2024). Striving for health equity through nursing education: A critical examination of non-traditional community health placements. Witness: The Canadian Journal of Critical Nursing Discourse, 6(1), 21–32. https://doi.org/10.25071/2291-5796.162 

You can find more of Dr. Vanderberg's publications and research in her Experts Database Link above.