UManitoba Graduate Nurse Students' Association

✨Reminder: our final GNSA meeting for 2025-26 is happening tomorrow via Zoom! Join us for the chance to win a prize!

✨In case you missed it, the 16th annual APN Conference is happening tomorrow! See previous post for details.

✨Reminder: the monthly meeting is tomorrow!

Register now for the 2026 APN Conference! And, invite your nursing friends! All are welcome ☺️

✨Introducing our third and final 2026 APN conference speaker! Heather E. Nowak RN MN - Heather’s nursing career has evolved from bedside nursing into progressive leadership roles, shaped by a deep commitment to supporting teams, strengthening practice environments, and keeping patient care at the center of it all. She currently serves as Chief Nursing Officer at Concordia Hospital in Winnipeg, where she works closely with nursing leaders and frontline teams to navigate change while supporting high-quality care across the organization. Heather completed her Master of Nursing at the University of Manitoba. Her field of research was emerging nurse leaders, reflecting her long-standing interest in leadership development and supporting nurses to develop into strong, confident leaders.

✨Introducing our second APN Conference featured speaker! Abigail Kawadza, MN, RNBN – Manager, Health Services, Primary Care – Interlake- Eastern Regional Health Authority, is a service-driven healthcare leader and community champion, passionate about creating inclusive work spaces that empower. With over a decade of experience in nursing leadership and health systems, she is driven by a deep commitment to compassionate, equity-focused care and systems-level change. Her work spans acute, long-term and acute care, healthcare administration, and public advocacy, with experience leading interdisciplinary teams, managing complex operations, and driving quality improvement rooted in dignity and inclusion. She is a recipient of the Martha Donovan Women’s Leadership Award and a University of Manitoba -President Student Leadership Program Fellow. Her continuous involvement in various boards, committees, and associations exemplifies her commitment to advocacy, mentorship and service. She strives to be a leader who fosters respect for all and centers the voices of those we serve.

✨We are please to introduce our first 2026 APN Conference speaker! Katrin Ann Param-Vital is an experienced nursing leader with over 10 years of progressive clinical and leadership experience across Manitoba’s healthcare system. Her background spans acute care, rural practice, critical care, pediatrics, surgical services, and oncology, shaping her ability to lead in complex, uncertain environments. Earlier this year, she completed a three-month appointment as the Interim Vice President of Clinical Operations and Chief Nursing Officer at CancerCare Manitoba, where she provided executive leadership during a period of significant change. In this role, she navigated operational pressures, supported clinical teams, and ensured strategic alignment at the enterprise level.

Katrin currently serves as the Director of Patient Services for the Outpatient Clinic Services Program and Professional Nursing Practice Lead at CancerCare Manitoba. She leads large multidisciplinary teams while advancing professional standards, workforce sustainability, and innovative models of care. Her leadership is grounded in transparency, collaboration, and data-informed decision-making, particularly during unprecedented times when clarity and steadiness matter most. She is committed to strengthening nursing practice, supporting resilient teams, and building systems that deliver safe, high-quality care.

Outside of her organizational role, she is the President-Elect of the Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba (ARNM), where she advocates for advancing the nursing profession across the province and supports the development of future nursing leaders.

‼️The 16th Annual APN conference is fast approaching! Join us on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 5:30pm. This conference will be both in-person (360 Helen Glass Centre) and virtually (via Teams). If attending in-person, please also join us for networking in the Helen Glass Atrium at 4:30pm. Light refreshments will be provided. Stay tuned as we introduce our speakers this week on Instagram! Kindly RSVP: https://forms.office.com/r/Kg9i1Hyz7B

Join Michaela Bourque (PhD student), Kristine Doell (PhD student), Diane Cepanec (Senior Research Manager) and Dr. Genevieve Thompson (Associate Dean - Graduate Program) for an interactive panel discussion on tips for applying for awards and scholarships! Teams link in your student email, or reach out to GNSA if you can’t find it!

SAVE THE DATE! The annual APN conference is happening in just over a month! Stay tuned for the presenters, which we will be sharing soon. Don’t miss this awesome event!