1. How did you start your career in nursing? What first drew you to informatics?

I worked in public health and acute care pediatrics to begin my nursing career, transitioning to nursing education where I have spent the last 16 years engaged in teaching and research. Very early in my research career, I realized that my interest in technology in the classroom was going to be a significant driver of my overall program of research. I had focused on communities of practice in my doctoral study and felt that technology was rapidly creating new communities in health and beyond, and that was that!

2. What was your first role in informatics?

I have been engaged in nursing informatics research since completing my doctorate in 2014! It is a rapidly changing, exciting field that has afforded me many different opportunities to partner with practitioners and patients in the pursuit of improved health outcomes through the use of digital tools.

3. What is your current role and what is the focus of the role?

I have recently moved into an Associate Professor role in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary. Here I will continue to advance my informatics research and scholarship at an institution committed to social innovation that influences positive societal change.

4. What messages do you have for nurses interested in working in the informatics field?

Even prior to the pandemic, the world was rapidly moving towards a digital future and this journey has only been accelerated in many areas as the result of the global COVID-19 challenge. Given where we are on this trajectory, there has never been a better time for nurses to engage in informatics education, ongoing professional development, or other data or digital based learning in order to enrich and evolve their professional roles.