August 29, 2022
President’s Staff Award for Advancing Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence
Natalie Chambers, Manager, Clinical Practice Placement Unit
We are proud to announce that Natalie Chambers has been awarded a 2022 President's Staff award for Advancing Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence. Natalie's association with the School of Nursing began as a student, where early on, she revealed her leadership qualities as the president of the Graduate Student in Nursing Association. As a staff member, Natalie helped to establish, and now expertly manages the Clinical Practice Placement Unit, which ensures that each undergraduate nursing student and student nurse practitioner receives the quality clinical experience required to complete their education.
At the School of Nursing, Natalie interacts with over 200 clinical sites to ensure over 200 nursing students have access to relevant clinical practice experiences during their degree. In her role as a manager as well as an active member of School’s anti-racism committee, Natalie is a leader in building respectful and inclusive environments that reflect the diversity of students and nurses within the academic setting.
Natalie co-led the development of the committee’s comprehensive work plan to foster an equity-oriented, culturally safe, and decolonizing environment. This work includes embedding an anti-racist orientation in policies and practices, and building the leadership capacity of students, faculty and staff to be agents of structural change within the university, the nursing profession and health care system.
She also worked collaboratively with the School’s Indigenous Cultural Safety committee, recognizing the need to focus on the unique Indigenous experience at UBC.
Natalie promotes inclusive excellence by encouraging faculty and staff professional development to build equity, inclusion and anti-racist competencies. She has also been instrumental in including students in anti-racism work and supported the development of a Student Anti-Racism Caucus.
Her commitment to redressing historical injustices against racialized people is unrelenting and her ability to move this agenda forward is exciting.