A decade of grit, grief and gratitude: Leadership Lessons and Policy Pearls from Canada's Chief Nursing Officer
In 2015, halfway through her PhD program, Leigh’s brother died of an overdose. At that time, she did not know that her path out of grief would be paved with solidarity, critical allyship, advocacy and even direct action. However, this deeply personal trauma of losing a sibling provided an unexpected opportunity to find her voice as a nurse leader by co-mingling her personal and professional experiences. The 2024 UBC School of Nursing’s annual Marion Woodward Lecture event will explore the leadership lessons and policy pearls that the Chief Nursing Officer of Canada has gleaned from a decade of grit, grief and gratitude.
BIO: Dr. Leigh Chapman is committed to advancing the nursing profession in Canada to ensure equitable access to quality care. As CNO for Canada, she provides strategic advice to Health Canada, plays a convening role on key nursing issues, and represents the Federal Government at public forums.
Leigh is a registered nurse (RN) who received her PhD from the University of Toronto's Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing. Over the past 20 years, she has gained a deep understanding of nursing by working in both frontline and clinical leadership capacities. In addition to her role as CNO for Canada, Leigh continues to work at a community-based consumption and treatment site in Toronto, where she provides harm reduction services and frontline care.
