Advancing Clinical Practice, Education, and Research Across Borders

The visiting delegation included three senior faculty members from the University of Huddersfield: Professor Melanie Rogers, a globally recognized leader in advanced nursing practice and spiritual care, and founding Director of the ICN NP/APN Network’s Global Academy of Research and Enterprise; Senior Lecturer Elizabeth Drain; and Senior Lecturer Emma Fawcett. Professor Rogers, a National Teaching Fellow, also serves as Director of the Academy of Advanced Practice Research UK and the Centre for Applied Health Research at the University of Huddersfield. They were joined by six experienced MSc students from a range of professional backgrounds - physiotherapy, paramedicine, pharmacy, adult nursing, and learning disability nursing. All are highly experienced Registered healthcare professionals, undertaking postgraduate training to become Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs), the UK’s multiprofessional counterpart to Canada’s Nurse Practitioner (NP) role, with scope to autonomously assess, diagnose, prescribe, and refer patients across diverse care settings.

The week-long program was organized and led by Ashley Scott, whose educational leadership brought together academic, clinical, and research partners across institutions. With support from colleagues in the UBC School of Nursing and Director Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc, as well as valued collaborators at Vancouver Community College and regional practice partners, the visit began with a warm UBC welcome, a tailored orientation to the university and its nursing programs, and opportunities to experience the vibrant culture of Vancouver. Academic sessions brought together leaders from across the Canadian NP community. Guests were joined by UBC NP faculty, as well as Dr. Laura Housden (President) and Dr. Stan Marchuk (CEO) of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada - who offered rich insights into the history and vision of advanced practice nursing in Canada. This exchange of ideas highlighted both common ground and key differences in how ACP and NP roles are implemented internationally.

A key academic highlight of the visit was the group’s engagement with innovative pedagogical approaches being developed at UBC. During a visit to UBC’s Emerging Media Lab, guests explored an AI-driven Virtual Reality simulation designed by Ashley Scott to support Nurse Practitioner education through immersive, feedback-rich clinical scenarios. The simulation sparked considerable interest, and plans are now underway to co-evaluate the tool with Advanced Clinical Practice students in the UK - signaling the start of a promising international research collaboration.

The itinerary also featured a series of site visits that offered insight into the diversity of advanced practice roles across British Columbia. At Vancouver Community College, instructor Signy Novak and a Nurse Practitioner colleague shared their experiences with Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), including Signy’s founding of the MAiD Family Support charity - an especially impactful session given that MAiD is not currently legal in the UK. Thanks to UBC School of Nursing Lecturer Sheryl Marie Zentner, the group then visited the Downtown Community Health Centre, where NPs Barb McKillip and Nesa Hamidi Tousi and their team discussed the clinic’s work with structurally marginalized populations. At BC Women’s and Children’s Hospital, the group was welcomed by Dr. Natasha Prodan-Bhalla, PHSA Vice President of Quality, Safety, Informatics, and Chief of Nursing and Allied Health. This visit was made possible through the leadership and coordination of Dr. Minna Miller, who played a central role in organizing the PHSA sessions and facilitating key connections. The program included presentations from Dr. Chantel Canessa (NP Department Head, Executive Director), Farah MacKenzie (BC Cancer NP Department Head), Laura Vicol (BC Women’s and Children’s NP Department Head), and Dr. Miller herself, who shared the PHSA NP Legacy Database Project. These sessions offered a compelling overview of NP roles, leadership portfolios, and the broad provincial impact of NPs in British Columbia. Thanks to Dr. Minna Miller at PHSA and Michelle Sims (Regional Director, NPs and Interdisciplinary Medical Providers and Associate Head, Regional Department of NPs) the final day involved observational placements within Vancouver Coastal Health and Provincial Health Services Authority, where visitors heard from frontline NPs leading transformative healthcare work across the province.

Reflecting on the visit, Professor Rogers shared, 

The students were blown away by their visit… we are so grateful for everything you did to make the trip so successful.

Ashley Scott commented,

I’m incredibly thankful to everyone at UBC and our many partners and collaborators who helped make this educational exchange so impactful and memorable. It was a privilege to welcome colleagues and students, to showcase the incredible work happening in BC, and to facilitate knowledge exchange across borders that will continue to shape our work in education and research.

This visit not only strengthened institutional ties but also highlighted the importance of educational leadership, interprofessional collaboration, and innovation in preparing the next generation of advanced practice providers - across continents.