Red River College Nursing instructor Kendra Rieger has been named the 2016 recipient of the Canadian Association for Nursing Research (CANR) Rising Star Graduate Student Award.

Presented every two years, the award recognizes Rieger’s doctoral research work at the University of Manitoba, where she’s part of the first cohort of Nursing PhD students in the province.

Her devotion to research is evident in her scholarly work: As primary author or co-author, she has nine articles either in-press of published, with two more publications currently under review. Among those she describes as pivotal: “Arts-based learning: An analysis of the concept of nursing education” (published in the International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship), and “The effectiveness and experience of arts-based pedagogy among undergraduate nursing students: A mixed methods systematic review” (currently under review).

Research work forms a core component of Rieger’s doctoral thesis, and she hopes to build on it even further as she continues exploring the fields of arts and health. She is also interested in systematic reviews, and hopes to develop a research program focused on arts and health initiatives, including creative approaches to teaching and learning.

Rieger’s interest in research work dates back to her childhood. She always wanted to be a scientist, and as she got older and continued her training as a nurse, she became even more convinced of the importance of research in nursing care and education.

She describes herself as a firm believer in evidence-informed practice, which integrates the best research evidence with patient preferences, clinical context and nurses’ expertise in order to provide the best patient care possible.

Rieger acknowledges her advisor, Dr. Wanda Chernomas, for nominating her for the award, which she will formally accept on May 2 at the College of Nursing Researcher in Residence event.

Learn more about her research career, and her award.