The University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge Polytechnic are joining forces to host the 2026 Western North-Western Region Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (WNRCASN) conference from April 26 to 28 at the Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge.

The Bridging Practice and Possibility: Advancing Nursing Education for the Future conference includes oral and poster presentations, networking opportunities and sessions that highlight research, teaching innovations and collaborative approaches to nursing education.

“We are very excited to be co-hosting, alongside the University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge Polytechnic, a large regional nurse educator conference,” says Gillian Comchi (BN ’09), co-chair of the conference planning committee and an instructor in the Centre for Health and Wellness at Lethbridge Polytechnic. “Like our bridge, our conference theme, Bridging Practice and Possibility, invites attendees to build meaningful connections with colleagues from across Western Canada, connect with exciting innovations and possibilities of nursing education and connect with the land and culture of beautiful southern Alberta.”

The conference is an opportunity to showcase nursing scholarship and research, provide participants with experience in presenting, networking and professional engagement, strengthen collaboration among Western Canadian nursing programs and highlight Lethbridge as a host community committed to healthcare education and workforce development.

The opening keynote speaker on April 27 is Dr. Heather Bensler, an associate professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on white settler identity in nursing education and the use of participatory theatre to build the capacity of nursing students and practicing nurses to recognize and disrupt anti-Indigenous racism in education and practice.

On April 28, co-presenters Dr. Marian Luctkar-Flude and Dr. Jane Tyerman will discuss the role of simulation in health education. Luctkar-Flude is an associate professor at Queen’s University School of Nursing and co-founder/co-president of the Canadian Alliance of Nurse Educators using Simulation (CAN-Sim). Tyerman is an associate professor at the University of Ottawa and co-president of CAN-Sim. Both are leaders in simulation-based nursing education.

Registration is now open. Nursing and health-care educators, nurses and students are encouraged to attend. Visit the conference website for more information and to register.