Maria Panzera Rugg 

Throughout my career, palliative nursing has been both a calling and a community. Across pediatric and adult settings, from the bedside to the boardroom, I have witnessed how nurses transform suffering into dignity through compassion, advocacy, and clinical excellence. It is this lifelong belief in the power of nursing to lead change that compels me to seek the role of President-Elect of the Canadian Palliative Care Nursing Association.

As a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Palliative and Supportive Care at Unity Health Toronto, I have spent the past decade advancing models of care that honour what matters most to patients and families. Beyond my institutional role, I have worked to strengthen our profession’s collective voice through sustained governance leadership — currently serving as a Director on the Board of Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO), where I contribute to the Finance, Governance, and Audit & Risk Committees. In my parallel role as President of the Palliative Care Nurses Interest Group (PCNIG) of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, I have helped foster mentorship networks, policy advocacy, and professional education for nurses across Ontario. I also proudly serve as a Director on the Board of the Registered Nurses Foundation of Ontario (RNFOO), supporting nursing excellence and scholarship across the province.

These board experiences have deepened my understanding of transparent, accountable governance and the importance of a unified nursing voice at provincial and national tables. They have also reinforced my conviction that authentic leadership is rooted in listening, humility, and relationship-building — values that align with CPCNA’s mission to elevate palliative nursing through education, research, and collaboration.