Winter 2005 ONP Newsletter

ONP bids goodbye to valued colleagues and welcomes new staff

It is with very mixed emotions that the Office of Nursing Policy announces the departure of two valued colleagues.

Dr. Fadi el-Jardali joins Health Council of Canada

Dr. Fadi El-Jardali departed the ONP on November 10 2004 to join the Health Council of Canada as Health Economist and Project Manager. Fadi joined the Office of Nursing Policy as Senior Policy Advisor in October 2003. His principal responsibility was as the lead on Health Canada 's Healthy Workplace Initiative for Health Care Workers, part of the Pan-Canadian Health Human Resources Strategy, providing content knowledge and strategic direction. He also provided general policy advice to the Office and Health Canada .

To his position, Fadi brought a diverse and multidisciplinary background in public policy, health economics and political science. He also brought experience in the health care management and policy (federal and provincial governments, private sector), academic research and teaching. Prior to joining the Office of Nursing Policy Fadi worked before as a Hospital Consultant for the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and as a Hospital Administrator. He teaches part-time at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University . His research activities and interest are focused on health care reform, health policy, public sector management, organizational change, health human resources (recruitment and retention), and quality of care and patient safety.

Fadi holds a Master's degree in Health Services Administration and a Ph.D. from Carleton University in public policy.

During the brief time he spent with us, Fadi quickly became recognized as a person knowledgeable about health care economic policy issues. He has demonstrated an ease working with all staff to accomplish his task, being equally comfortable as a team member or leader and with students or senior government officials. His knowledge and expertise has benefited the Office. On a more personal note, we will miss Fadi's cooperative and collaborative nature, his love of academia, his thoughtful consideration of complex issues and his quiet gentleness.

Dr. Pat Griffin to become new CASN Executive Director

Dr. Pat Griffin left the Office of Nursing Policy on December 31 to become the new Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing.

Pat brought a varied background to the Office of Nursing Policy. Her education includes an RN diploma from the Ottawa Civic Hospital School of Nursing, a BSc(NsgEd) and MHA from the University of Ottawa , and a PhD in health policy from the University of Toronto . She has been awarded two consecutive postdoctoral fellowships which involved the study of evidence-based decision-making and knowledge transfer to both practice and policy-making audiences. She is also a Certified Health Executive of the Canadian College of Health Service Executives.

Pat also has extensive practice and management experience in acute care facilities, including 18 years experience in a tertiary paediatric hospital. She has held positions that include head nurse, nursing director, director of nursing practice, and director of utilization and quality assurance. As an educator, she has been a clinical instructor, held a joint appointment as clinical assistant, a lecturer in a problem-based integration seminar and a guest lecturer in a research internship program. Currently, she is an adjunct professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Ottawa . Pat is a co-investigator on three funded research projects and a decision-making partner on a fourth.

Her work at the Office of Nursing Policy involved the research and education portfolios. Her current interests include facilitating the advancement of evidence-based, professional nursing education, building nursing research capacity, translating research into policy and practice, and the creation of healthy workplaces for nurses.

We are pleased to know that through our future involvement with the Health Council of Canada and the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing, we will continue working with Fadi and Pat, albeit in a new capacity. We wish them every success and happiness in their new roles.

The Office of Nursing Policy is also very pleased to welcome two new staff to assume these positions.

Kathie Paddock to lead Healthy Workplace Initiative

Kathie joins the Office of Nursing Policy as a Policy Advisor where her principal area of responsibility will be the lead on Health Canada 's Healthy Workplace Initiative, in addition to other issues related to recruitment and retention of health care workers.

Kathie has over nine years experience in the health care field, having worked in community, long-term, psychiatric and chronic care settings. Most recently, Kathie has been involved with research and policy development at the provincial and national levels. After working at the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa Health Services as a researcher, in 2002 Kathie moved on to the Canadian Healthcare Association (CHA) where she was involved in policy and advocacy efforts on numerous issues including accountability, sustainability, patient safety and quality care, and health human resources. Kathie's most recent post at CHA was Acting Director, Policy and Public Affairs.

Kathie holds an undergraduate degree in honours Psychology, as well as a Masters of Science in Health Studies and Gerontology.

Susan Hicks joins ONP as Senior Nursing Policy Consultant

Susan is currently a senior consultant with the Office of Nursing Policy where health human resource issues related to nurses, specifically recruitment and retention, are a major focus of her work.

Susan has over 20 years experience as a registered nurse in the provision of direct care to clients and has also been an educator in clinical nursing. For the past 12 years, she has been involved with policy development and implementation at provincial, national and international levels.

After six years with the Canadian Nurses Association as a policy analyst, in 1998 Susan moved to Health Canada to work in the Health Human Resource Strategies Division. During her tenure with the Federal Government she has also had the opportunity to work in the Office of Nursing Services, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch.

Susan holds a hospital diploma in nursing, a Post-RN Baccalaureate in the Science of Nursing, and a Masters in the Science of Nursing with a major in Adult Education.