Sandra Davidson, photo by Erick Nhan

Message from the Dean

Dr. Sandra Davidson, PhD
Dean, UCalgary Nursing

About the Dean

Dr. Sandra Davidson was appointed as Dean of the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary in August 2018. She joined UCalgary from the University of Alberta, where she served as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs (ADUP) in the Faculty of Nursing. In her role as ADUP she oversaw the largest portfolio within the faculty. Dr. Davidson co-led the Curriculum Renewal Project that resulted in a renewed undergraduate curriculum that launched in fall 2018.

Originally from Lethbridge Alberta, Dr. Davidson had considerable practical experience as a nurse before entering an academic career. She has served in a variety of positions in the United States, including Dean of Nursing and then Senior Director of Academic Affairs for Carrington College, based in Phoenix Arizona, and as the Director, Master of Healthcare Innovation Program at Arizona State University.

Dr. Davidson was the Organizational Development and Clinical Education Specialist for Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) in Goodyear Arizona. In this position she worked with the Vice-President of Patient Care Services and nursing staff to implement and evaluate an innovative adaptable care delivery model on the inpatient oncology unit. She has served in a wide range of academic and practice environments that span private, for-profit and not-for profit organizations and both large and small public universities.

Davidson obtained her PhD in Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University in 2011. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing at the same institution in 2001 and received her Bachelor of Nursing from the University of Lethbridge in 1996, having completed her nursing diploma from Lethbridge Community College in 1994.

What an exciting time to be a part of UCalgary Nursing!  In 2019, we celebrate 50 years as a school of nursing and our commitment to leading the pursuit of nursing excellence is stronger than ever. 

Dr. Sandra Davidson

Dean, Faculty of Nursing

In this time of health-care transformation, nursing leadership is critical to creating the preferred future.

Our strategic plan underpins all our initiatives that support and strengthen nursing education, research and practice. Our faculty members are front-line providers, administrators, researchers – all with the knowledge and skill to educate today and tomorrow’s registered nurses. 

If you are considering joining us as an undergraduate or graduate student, know that you join a community of more than 1,000 students and more than 8,000 alumni who are current and future leaders, each in their own way. Education is at the core of all we do and I am especially proud of our focus on the student experience and how we strive to create powerful and meaningful learning experiences in classroom, lab/simulation and practice settings.

I am also proud of our contributions to Canadian nursing research. We are shoulder to shoulder with other research intensive institutions focused on creating meaningful and relevant research to promote the health of Canadians and our global neighbors. 

As a relatively new dean (August 2018), I am particularly excited to see our Faculty developing capacity for and influence in health-care innovation. We are situated in Canada’s most enterprising city and within the University of Calgary with its strong ethos of entrepreneurship. This provides many opportunities to highlight nursing’s leadership role in health-care transformation through innovation, research, inter-professional partnerships and entrepreneurial thinking. I am especially excited about the concept of the entrepreNurse, an expanding movement centred on how nurses are uniquely qualified to be the change agents in global health care.

Whether you are considering joining us as a student, staff or faculty member, looking to reconnect as an alumnus or engaging as a current member of our community, I invite you to continue to explore nursing.

Dr. Sandra Davidson, PhD, RN
Dean, Faculty of Nursing

Headshot photo by Erick Nhan