Ryerson Nursing Student Recognized for Digital Health Leadership

(Toronto) – Ryerson University nursing student Patricia Yu Howatt began her placement at a community-based hospice that was spearheading the development of a pediatric hospice in 2012. In the eight months she spent there, she supported the creation and collection of resources and content for unique digital resources for staff, pediatric patients and their families, including an improved website with links to palliative care services, bereavement support programs as well as online referral forms to streamline the admission process.

CASN Award
Ryerson University nursing student Patricia Yu Howatt (L)
is presented with the 2014 Student e-Health Leadership
Award by Maureen Charlebois, Chief Nursing Executive
at Canada Health Infoway.

Yu Howatt's work has earned her the 2014 Student e-Health Leadership Award from the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) and Canada Health Infoway (Infoway). The recipient was announced recently by the Canadian Nursing Students' Association.

The Student Award for Excellence in e-Health is part of the Nurses in Training initiative led by the CASN and Infoway. It recognizes undergraduate nursing students who demonstrate leadership in e-Health through the adoption and use in practice, advancing the delivery of evidence-based, patient-centred care.

"I commend Patricia for the leadership she has shown in leveraging technology to advance nursing practice through digital health," said Maureen Charlebois, Chief Nursing Executive and Group Director, Clinical Adoption, Canada Health Infoway. "Ensuring tomorrow's nurses are prepared for practice in a digitally-enabled environment is central to efforts underway in collaboration with nursing schools across Canada."

"Patricia is well-deserving of the 2014 Student Award for Excellence in e-Health for her efforts in making palliative resources available digitally to patients and their loved ones," said Dr. Cynthia Baker, Executive Director, Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing. "Her efforts exemplify the empathy and caring that patients and their families deserve during such trying times."

"Technology is an integral part of our lives, so it makes sense to leverage it to help support quality patient care," said Yu Howatt, who is a member of the Canadian Nursing Students' Association. "I am proud to be part of the movement to bring the efficiencies of technology into our health care system and am honoured to be named this year's recipient of the Student Award for Excellence in e-Health."

About Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN)

The Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing / Association canadienne des écoles de sciences infirmières (CASN/ACESI) is the national voice for nursing education, research, and scholarship and represents baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in Canada.

About Canadian Nursing Students Association (CNSA)

The Canadian Nursing Students' Association (CNSA) is the national voice of Canadian nursing students. Our goal is to increase the legal, ethical, professional, and educational aspects which are an integral part of nursing. CNSA is actively dedicated to the positive promotion of nurses and the nursing profession as a whole.

About Canada Health Infoway

Funded by the federal government, Infoway helps to improve the health of Canadians by working with partners to accelerate the development, adoption and effective use of digital health across Canada. Through our investments, we help deliver better quality and access to care and more efficient delivery of health services for patients and clinicians.

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For more information:

Haley Armstrong
Director, Communications and Public Relations
Canada Health Infoway
647-713-9459
Email Us