UK & Ireland Registration Success - Nursing in Canada: British Columbia is Calling

Angela De Smitt

Vice President Professional Practice / Chief Nursing and Allied Health Executive Interim Vice President Clinical Operations

Angela returned to the North Peace in 1997. Her experience includes working as the NE Chief Operating Officer, Health Services Administrator for the North Peace, while working as the Operational Lead for acute care planning and transition during the development of the new Fort St. John Hospital and Peace Villa facility. She also held the positions of Director of Patient Care Services and Inpatient Unit Manager at the Fort St. John Hospital and Health Centre. She has interprovincial experience in nursing leadership positions in Alberta as well in both Peace River Hospital and Community Health Centre, and the High Level Hospital. Angela has represented Northern Health on a number of provincial committees including the 2019 and 2023 NBA Bargaining Committees.

Angela graduated from the University of Alberta Hospital School of Nursing, obtained her Bachelor of Nursing from Athabasca University; and graduated from Royal Roads University with a Masters of Leadership in Health Care.

Angela has embraced the opportunities to lead and participate system changes in Northern rural and remote communities in the BC and AB health care system.

Aneta D'Angelo, MEd, BScN, RN

Director
Clinical Education

Aneta D’Angelo obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and a Master’s degree in Education from University of Windsor, Ontario – degrees which showcase her dedication to both healthcare and education. With over 23 years of nursing experience, 13 of which were dedicated to progressive leadership, Aneta brings a wealth of knowledge to her current role within the Professional Practice Office of Interior Health Authority (British Columbia, Canada).

In Aneta’s current role as the Director of Education, she oversees a wide range of responsibilities, including programs that support internationally trained nurses, employed student nurses, specialty education, new graduate transition to practice, clinical mentorship, and preceptorship. One of her most recent achievements is the expansion of the Clinical Education Portfolio under her leadership. Aneta has transformed the department, growing it from 7.0 direct reports and 120 employed students to an impressive 56.0 reports and over 520 employed students. Her strategic vision and dedication have been pivotal in achieving this significant milestone.

Aneta has also imparted her expertise at the post-secondary level, having taught at institutions such as the University of British Columbia and Okanagan College in the Bachelor of Nursing Program. In alignment with her passion for education and high standards in practice, her dedication extends to the regulatory level, with experience providing provincial consultation and where she still currently serves on the Nursing Program Recognition Committee with the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives.

Aneta’s dedication to quality health care environments and sharing successes broadly, has also led to provincial interest and eventual adoption of many clinical education solutions such as the New Graduate program. She is provincially known as a trailblazing healthcare leader who has made substantial contributions to the field of clinical education and nursing practice in British Columbia. Her impressive career journey and commitment to excellence continue to inspire those around her.

Shannon Rodrigues

Sourcing & Recruitment Specialist
Employment Services

Shannon joined the Health Match BC Nurse Recruitment Team in the spring of 2022 as a Recruitment Consultant. She enjoys working with candidates from around the world and loves nothing more than supporting her applicants in finding exactly the right job opportunity in beautiful British Columbia.

With over a decade of recruitment experience in both health care and post secondary, Shannon prides herself on providing her candidates with resources and supports for their individual needs in starting their journey to becoming a nurse in British Columbia.

Born and raised in British Columbia, Shannon loves nothing more then sharing with others the beautiful part of the world she lives in! You can always count on her to point you in the right direction of the best cup of coffee in town! Outside of work Shannon can be found exploring all the best BC has to offer with her little family!

Chadi Didehvar

Consultant
Nurse Navigation Services

Chadi is one of the Navigators at Health Match BC, supporting internationally educated nurses on their journey to becoming registered in BC. She has a background in Psychology, and for the last 4 years, has been working with health care professionals, providing them with information on the registration process, supporting their job search efforts, and guiding them with their immigration applications. Chadi believes everyone should have the opportunity to work in their chosen career and endeavours to support them in any way she can to achieve their dream to work in BC.

David Waller, RN, BA, MSc

Executive Director
Nursing & Allied Health, Professional Practice and Learning & Development
BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre
Adjunct Professor, School of Nursing University of British Columbia

David began his healthcare career by graduating from Oxford Brookes University with a Bachelor of Arts in Paediatric Nursing (1993). To specialize in Critical Care, he transitioned to the John Radcliffe Hospital’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and obtained specialty certification at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London. Keen to develop advanced competence in the speciality of Paediatric Critical Care and extend his scope of practice, David undertook his Master of Science degree in Autonomous Healthcare Practice, graduating in 2005.l

A move to Vancouver in 2006 brought David to BC Children’s Hospital where he has further honed his leadership skills as a clinician, Operations Leader, and Clinical Leader for functional design for Redevelopment & now as a Leader in Professional Practice for BC Women’s & BC Children’s Hospitals.

His goal is to support Best Care in partnership with Women, Children & their families by enabling engaged & competent teams to deliver quality outcomes and positive patient and family experiences.

Michael-Ann Miller, RN, BSN

Clinical Operations Manager
Princeton General Hospital & South Similkameen Health Centre
Interior Health

Michael-Ann traded in the amenities and anonymity of big city life to move to a small community over a decade ago. Her husband stayed home with the kids, and she got a job in a little hospital nestled deep in the ponderosa pines of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Filled with unique challenges and benefits she has developed a comprehensive skill set and autonomous practice working in a rural Emergency Department. She now acts as a voice for rural nurses, serving on the executive for the Canadian Association for Rural and Remote Nursing. In addition, Michael-Ann furthered her career to become a leader and mentor to many nurses through her role as a clinical operations manager. When she is not working, she is playing with her kids, making art, or doing the dishes. Living and working in rural BC was the best decision she ever made to grow both her career and her family, and she is excited to share this experience with the United Kingdom.

Michael-Ann looks forward to speaking with you in London and Dublin.

Flávia Mandic, RN, BScN, MAL

Director, Specialized Paediatric Medical Services
BC Children’s Hospital
Provincial Health Services Authority

Flávia is from Brazil and got her bachelor’s in Science in Nursing from the Universidade of Brasilia. She is one of the Internationally Educated Nurses featured in the Health Match BC video (insert link if you have it). While attending an International Nursing Conference for a week in Vancouver in 1997, she fell in love with the city and started the process to revalidate her nursing credentials in British Columbia.

She moved to Vancouver in 2000 and after working 17 years in St Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, she got her master’s in leadership for healthcare. She is currently working as a Director of Specialized Paediatric Medical Services at BC Children’s Hospital, where she has been for the last 4 and half years. Flávia lives in Vancouver with her husband, their two children, and a dog. She is so grateful for this diverse and inclusive country that provided so many opportunities for growing as a nurse and as a leader.

Passionate about recruiting other Internationally Educated Nurses, she is excited to join Health Match BC in the UK & Ireland Roadshow. Come and chat with Flávia in London and Dublin.”

Lisa Maks, RN, MN, CDE

Diabetes Clinical Nurse Specialist
Providence Health Care: St. Paul’s Hospital

Lisa has recently started in a newly created position in BC as the Diabetes Clinical Nurse Specialist for Providence Healthcare. She brings 34 years of nursing experience with a variety of areas including renal transplant, critical care, cardiovascular, to name a few.

She’s been a Certified Diabetes Educator since 2004 and a Diabetes Clinical Nurse Specialist for Hamilton Health Sciences in Ontario with focus on diabetes management in the in-patient setting since 2011. The scope of practice for this Advanced Practice Nursing role included providing expert consultation to Prescribers and devising the plan of care for patients admitted to hospital, quality improvement projects, leadership, education, and research.

She’s also been an Associate Clinical Professor with McMaster University School of Nursing in Hamilton, Ontario from 2008 – 2021 and looks forward to joining Faculty at University of British Columbia this year.

You can speak with Lisa in Manchester and Birmingham

Davey MacLennan

Regional Manager, Clinical Education
Northern Health (NH)

Born in Inverness in the highlands of Scotland and raised in the Northeast in a town called Elgin. He started his career in healthcare as a nursing assistant before Graduating as a Registered Mental Nurse (RMN) at Stirling University. He honed his skills as a Staff nurse in acute psychiatry and as a Community Psychiatric Nurse before emigrating with his family to Northern BC in 2004.

Davey has been fortunate enough to have been supported by the employer to develop into leadership opportunities within the health Authority, that have allowed him to establish the role he currently occupies as the Regional manager for Clinical Education and development for all areas of clinical patient care.

The original plan was to emigrate for 2 years before return home, however the work/life balance that he experienced has enabled him to work, live and play in one of the most beautiful areas in the world.

Come meet Davey in Manchester and Birmingham

Julie Dufton, RN, BSN

Manager Centralized Hiring & Workforce Initiatives
Talent Acquisition and Onboarding Fraser Health (FH)

Julie has worked in Fraser Health as a nurse for over 30 years mostly in the Emergency Department (ED) and now as a Leader with Talent Acquisition and Onboarding with a continued focus on ED recruitment. Julie has been involved in many creative initiatives and solutions for nursing recruitment and retention and onboarding for new hospital redevelopment.

Julie has always lived in British Columbia (BC) and experiences the best of what BC offers… summers spent in the interior lakes of the province and the rest of the year at the beach.

Bonnie Catlin, RN, MScN

Regional Director
Clinical Education & Professional Practice – Nursing
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)

Bonnie Catlin is the Regional Director for Clinical Education & Professional Practice-, Nursing, at Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH). Her focus is building multiple regional education initiatives for nurses to support transition from student to employed student nurse, to new graduate, simulation to support development of new and ongoing clinical competencies, standardizing orientation and supporting the development of a remote and rural education. Increasing clinical placement access within VCH, building new educator infrastructure and increasing professional development for current educators. Leading the process for the development of clinical decision support tools that are guided by our provincial regulatory college.

In previous role, she was the Provincial Heart Failure Clinical Nurse Specialist and Provincial Clinical Director for the Heart Failure, Transcatheter Heart Valve (THV) and Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) Program in Vancouver British Columbia. She co-lead BC’s Heart Failure Strategy, working with provincial HF experts and patients to establish standardized provincial patient and interprofessional HF education programs, standardized medical imaging referral processes, building culturally specific practice tools and resources, and established, the first in Canada, HF End- of- life program. Within the THV and LAA programs, she worked with provincial stakeholders and to build a system of care across the full care continuum to improve clinical practice, access, quality and patient knowledge.

Her nursing practice over the last 39 years has focused primarily on cardiology & nursing education, with experience at point of care, health care administration, cardiac research, and professional practice, leading practice and system change both regionally and provincially. Bonnie received her BSN from the University of Victoria and her MScN from York University in Toronto.

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