UNB Faculty of Nursing & Health Sciences

Join us in congratulating Rachel Nwaudo on receiving the 2026 Canadian Nursing Students’ Association Community Involvement Award.

Rachel will begin her second year in the Bachelor of Nursing Accelerated Program in Moncton this fall. Presented by the Canadian Nurses Foundation, this national award recognizes her dedication to leadership, service, and community engagement.

Understanding job satisfaction is key to recruiting & retaining staff in long-term care. This is especially important as demand for long-term care grows across Atlantic Canada. New research with 967 nurses, allied health professionals & managers finds teamwork is the top driver, but priorities vary by role.

Congratulations to the second cohort of MAHE-UNB Dual Degree students for completing their four in-person UNB courses at the end of Year 3 of their program. This international collaboration admits 25 additional students to the Manipal College of Nursing for the Dual Degree program. These students complete their full Indian nursing curriculum at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education in India, while also completing supplementary modules and courses facilitated by UNB Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences in Canada. Teaching Professor Jessica Webster led the in-person courses, in which students learned in detail about the Canadian healthcare system, the TRC Calls to Action and sociohistorical context of colonization in Canada, social justice, health equity, and advancing their clinical judgement in nursing practice. In the spring, the students will be welcomed in Fredericton for a 6-week clinical course to apply knowledge in Canadian healthcare facilities before they graduate next fall. Congratulations on your hard work, students!

This publication takes a thoughtful look at Bathing Without a Battle, a training resource used across long-term care to help make bathing calmer and more comfortable for people living with dementia. The study invites reflection on how care teams balance hygiene, comfort, and personal choice with the goal of supporting person-centered care.

"In 2024, NB became the fifth jurisdiction in Canada to announce plans for universal contraception coverage, working to remove significant barriers to contraception access.

On July 22nd and 23rd, leaders from across the province met to discuss the expansion of pharmacist scope in family planning, an important next step to ensure accessibility of universal contraception coverage. Dr. Martha Paynter and Christine Mason (Research Assistant) were joined by Dr. Wendy Norman (UBC), Enav Zusman (UBC), in conversation with Hon. Dr. John Dornan (NB Minister of Health), Annie Pellerin, Jill Dickinson, Matt Garnett, Hon. Dr. Lyne Chantal Boudreau (NB Minister of Women and Gender Equity), Dr. AJ Ripley, Nicole McCarty, and collaborators, Paul Bowman, Lindsay Mell, Ruth Ayoola, and Heidi Liston.

These meetings laid the foundation for future collaboration between Dr. Martha Paynter, frontline pharmacists, the New Brunswick Pharmacist Association, New Brunswick College of Pharmacies, and the Contraception and Abortion Research Team. Together they are exploring barriers and facilitators to pharmacist scope evolution in family planning."

GREAT NEWS! UNB Faculty of Nursing & Health Sciences Master of Nursing student Amy Barton has successfully defended their thesis titled "“Father’s Perceptions and Experiences of Childbirth Trauma”.

It's an incredible achievement and a significant milestone for Amy. CONGRATULATIONS on this well-deserved accomplishment!

Dr. Wanda Rasmussen and her NP students welcomed New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt to their class on July 27th to discuss UNB’s future Nurse Practitioners graduating in 2027. The Premier was happy to hear the students want to practise in New Brunswick after graduation, highlighting that NPs are essential to filling gaps in the health-care system, reducing wait times, and ensuring more people receive timely, high-quality care. Her message reinforced the government's commitment to strengthening the health-care workforce and expanding access to primary care across the province. We thank Premier Susan Holt for her time and commitment to NPs and their contribution to healthcare in New Brunswick.

What does reproductive justice really mean and who gets left behind when healthcare systems fail?

Dr. Martha Paynter sat down with The Curious Mindset, to explore the intersections of reproductive health, policy, and social justice. From expanding access to abortion care across Canada to studying the health impacts of incarceration, Dr. Paynter talks about how her work shines a light on some of the most overlooked challenges in healthcare. Beyond the science, Dr. Paynter reflects on advocacy, collaboration, and the power of persistence in creating a more equitable future. Listen to the full episode here:

The Curious Mindset: Reproductive Justice in Canada with Dr. Martha Paynter — Royal Canadian Institute for Science In this episode of The Curious Mindset, we sit down with Dr. Martha Paynter to explore the intersections of reproductive health, policy, and social justice.

CONGRATULATIONS to Dr. Kim Lauzier on her appointment as Interim Co-Chair of the Nurses and Nurse Practitioners Association of New Brunswick (NNPANB-AIIPNB).

In this leadership role, Dr. Lauzier will work alongside fellow founding members to guide the association’s development and establish the foundations for a unified provincial voice representing and supporting registered nurses and nurse practitioners across New Brunswick.

We are proud to see Dr. Lauzier's leadership and dedication to the nursing profession recognized through this important role. We wish her every success as she helps support and advocate for nurses and nurse practitioners.

To learn more and follow the Association's progress, please visit their page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3034902336657800

🎉 Congratulations to PhD candidate Rachel MacLean on being awarded a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Research Award—one of Canada's most prestigious and competitive doctoral research scholarships in health sciences.

Awarded to doctoral students who demonstrate exceptional academic excellence, outstanding research potential, and significant scholarly achievement, this nationally competitive award recognizes the quality and promise of Rachel's research.

Rachel's interdisciplinary doctoral research, supervised by Dr. Emily Read and Dr. Rosann Edwards, focuses on improving trauma-informed pelvic floor healthcare for women in New Brunswick by generating evidence to inform education, clinical practice, and health policy.

Congratulations, Rachel, on this remarkable achievement! We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved national recognition and look forward to the positive impact your research will have on the health and well-being of women, families, and communities.