Putting people at the core of everything we do is paramount at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). We’re proud to be a people-first organization, where employees are supported, valued, and empowered to thrive, both personally and professionally.
Through the Our People series on BCIT News, we celebrate the passion, expertise, and impact of individuals who help shape a better future at BCIT and beyond.
Meet the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Scholarship Team, a BCIT 2025 Employee Excellence recipient in the Applied Research – New to Research category.
What does it mean to your team to be a 2025 Employee Excellence Award recipient?
Receiving this award is both humbling and motivating. It affirms the collective effort we’ve put into building a culture of scholarship and research within the BSN program. This recognition highlights that small, intentional steps can have meaningful impact. It’s a celebration of teamwork and the belief that faculty and students alike can thrive in research when supported.
Looking back on the past year, what do you think contributed most to your team receiving the Applied Research (New to Research) award?
Our success stems from adopting a team-based model of scholarship development. Rather than relying on individual champions, we built inclusive structures that welcomed faculty with different levels of experience into the research process. By breaking scholarship into manageable projects, we created entry points for faculty to contribute meaningfully. This approach has allowed scholarship to become part of the program’s fabric.
Are there any projects that your team is most proud of this year? In a nutshell, can you describe what this project is about?
We are especially proud of our Annual Research and Scholarship Day, which brought faculty from across the School of Health Sciences together for collaboration, inspiration, and a poster showcase that highlighted and celebrated scholarship. Our partnership with Providence Health Care through the Research Challenge allowed BSN faculty to collaborate with point-of-care nurses on practice-based projects, strengthening ties with practice partners while growing research skills among faculty.
We also offered a series of scholarship-focused professional development opportunities that created accessible spaces for faculty and students to share their work, learn from external nursing education scholars, and strengthen research skills in areas such as knowledge synthesis, writing for publication, and developing research questions.
How did collaboration—within your team or across departments—play a role in your success this year?
Collaboration has been at the heart of everything we do. We’ve built small working groups focused on specific scholarship areas, which has allowed faculty to share their strengths and learn from one another. Across departments, we’ve partnered with external colleagues and health system partners to mentor, co-design studies, and support everything from research skills development to translation. Collaboration enhances capacity and keeps our work grounded in real-world practice and education priorities.
What aspect of BCIT’s workplace culture has helped your team thrive in your role or project?
BCIT’s culture of applied learning and innovation has been a perfect fit for our team’s vision of scholarship. The emphasis on practical, real-world impact has allowed us to design initiatives that are meaningful to students, faculty and to healthcare practice.
The Applied Research Strategic Plan (2021–2025) demonstrates BCIT’s strong commitment to building research capacity by investing in faculty and student skill development, which has provided clear guidance and momentum for our work.
Equally important has been the supportive environment fostered within the School of Health Sciences, the Academic Planning and Quality Assurance (APQA), and the Learning and Teaching Center (LTC), which has encouraged us to take creative risks and build new structures for faculty engagement in scholarship.
What’s next for your team – any goals, upcoming projects, or aspirations on the horizon?
Looking ahead, our goal is to continue expanding research capacity in the BSN program. We are developing a “digital front door” for scholarship to make resources, mentorship opportunities, and supports more visible and accessible to faculty and students.
We are also increasing capacity to engage students as co-researchers and co-designers on projects that not only strengthen their ability to address issues in nursing and healthcare practice but also inform curricular approaches that prepare graduates for the future of their work.
In addition, we aspire to broaden partnerships across the School of Health Sciences, so that scholarship becomes a shared strength across programs. Ultimately, our vision is to create sustainable structures where scholarship is woven into teaching, learning, and practice in ways that enhance student success and advance healthcare.