Research
Advisory Council

The Research Advisory Council (RAC) is comprised of credible advisors, including WeRPN members, public representatives (patient/client/resident and family), RPN ambassadors, professional practice associates and leaders, academic advisors, and researchers. Each member serves a two-year term to provide guidance and advise on research related activities with the aim to achieve the WeRPN research mandate and research priorities.

Research Advisory Council Members (2024-2025)

Research Chair

Jen Calver is a Registered Practical Nurse and a doctoral candidate in the Health Sciences, Community, Public, and Population Health program at Ontario Tech University. Her research focuses on health services, workforce recruitment and retention, older adults and their caregivers. As the Research Coordinator for WeRPN, she manages and provides oversight for the Research Program, working closely with RPNs, researchers, organizations, and partners to contribute to a positive change in healthcare.

Research Associate

Jennifer McCauley, a Registered Practical Nurse with over 15 years of experience in primary care, is dedicated to preventative health and promoting wellness. She currently serves as a BEGIN Case Manager, and Research Associate with WeRPN, supporting nurses at different stages of their careers.

Executive Leadership – Chief of Nursing and Research

Annette Weeres is the Chief of Nursing Practice & Research at the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario (WeRPN), she has extensive healthcare experiences, with over 45 years in a variety of leadership roles. Annette leads WeRPN’s professional practice and research departments and supports government initiatives that includes the BEGIN program. Her vision for nursing is seamless care based on intraprofessional collaboration where role clarity and optimization of nursing roles builds the foundation for positive health outcomes. To achieve this goal, research about RPN contributions to healthcare is essential and one of her most valued accomplishments was to lead the first WeRPN Research Strategy to fruition.

Executive Leadership - Chief Financial Officer

Pia Ramos-Javellana is the Chief Financial Officer at the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario (WeRPN) where she oversees finance strategy, planning, and financial reporting among other operational duties of all finance, human resources, and administration functions of the organization. With over 20 years of finance experience in not-for profit organizations, Pia has been instrumental in the association’s strong financial position and stability. Pia holds a Bachelor of Science Major in Accountancy and is a Chartered Professional Accountant of Ontario.

WeRPN Leadership - Director of Professional Practice

Norma Tomlin is a proud RPN and currently serves as the Director of Professional Practice. Throughout her 30-year nursing career, she has held various roles in leadership and at the point of care across the healthcare system. She is inspired by her nursing colleagues and is an advocate for nurses' professional development. In her role at WeRPN, Norma leads a team of dedicated RPNs to engage, support and provide education and resources to nurses from across the province, ensuring a positive impact and enhancing the lives of the patients they serve. Norma is a certified Resilience Practitioner and holds a Bachelor of Health Administration and a Health Service Management certification from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Additionally, she has a Master’s in Health Administration specializing in Community Care.

RPN Representative

Samantha Salatino is a Registered Practical Nurse with over eight years of experience in the healthcare sector. Samantha has also completed both a Bachelor of Health Studies from York University, and a Master of Science in Healthcare Quality from Queen's University, further solidifying her expertise in the healthcare sector.

RPN Representative

Oghenefegor Uwejeya holds dual licenses as a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) and a Registered Nurse (RN) in Ontario. Oghenefegor has practical nursing experience caring for older adults across various health settings and has contributed to research exploring workforce retention factors in long-term care. Oghenefegor considers this role an immense honour, a great privilege indeed to serve the nursing profession and humanity in general.

Academic Representative – University

Edward Cruz is Associate Professor, and Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs at UWindsor Nursing. He is one of the very few Philippine-educated nurses in a tenured or tenure-track position at a Canadian university nursing program. At UWindsor, he has developed a Collaborative program of Research in the broad areas of Social care, Heath human resources, Interprofessional collaboration, and Nursing Education, (CoRe-SHINE). He has received local, provincial, and national grants amounting to CAD$692,090 over the course of his career, including a Social Science and Humanities Research Council Grant (2022) amounting to CAD$64,190 to explore the employment trajectory of Philippine-educated nurses.

Academic Representative – College

Sheila West has more than 20 years of progressive academic leadership experience within the Ontario college system in the areas of health and allied health programs. Sheila holds a master’s degree in Nursing from the University of Toronto with a focus on acute care and health teaching. She’s the recipient of several awards, including the Award of Excellence and Innovation in Partnerships and Collaboration with the Canadian Network for Innovation in Education, the Innovation for Practical Nursing Education Award, and the Distinguished Faculty and Helping Hands Awards.

Public Representative

Pat Bower, RN, BScN, MEdAdmin, MN, GNC(C) is a recently retired RPN program coordinator, former Chair, and experienced nurse with special interests in gerontology, surgery, paediatric neurosurgery, cardiology, and hospital education. Pat has worked with nurses in a wide range of roles throughout her nursing career, culminating in her role as a professor with a passion for education and creative approaches to learning.

Public Representative

April Plumton is a retired Registered Practical Nurse. She has an background in maternal and gynecology nursing along with many years in primary care with a keen interest in diabetes education. April has been very much involved in community health and has served on nursing and advisory boards where she realized her interest to support Registered Practical Nursing related research to provide for better healthcare for all.

Board Member Representative

Lindsay Pentland is a Registered Practical Nurse with more than 17 years experience. Her clinical background includes over 14 years at a small rural hospital in southern Ontario, where she worked on many units including Med-Surg, Rehab, step down ICU, Ambulatory Care and the ER. She has spent the last 3 years travelling to even more rural hospitals including nursing stations in fly in only reserves. She is passionate about increasing awareness and optimization of nursing roles across any area of health and illness, focusing on health promotion and being proactive when it comes to the patients she cares for.

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