2026 CPCNA Annual Lecture

Vivian Papaiz is the Associate Dean for the School of Health Sciences at Canadore College.

With a diverse background in nursing practice, Vivian has worked across multiple sectors of nursing and nursing education including curriculum and program development in academic settings and supervision of a number of Nursing and allied health programs in clinical settings. Her professional experience has included significant leadership and management roles, serving as national PC lead, as well as practice educator and manager of nursing and home support programs for VON Canada in Ontario. In recent years, her focus has turned to academic pursuits that have focused on leadership of Health Science programming.

Vivian's professional journey is marked by a deep commitment to raising awareness about the importance of palliative and end-of-life care. She has held numerous governance roles at national, provincial, and local levels in hospice palliative care. Her leadership includes executive positions on various Boards of Directors, and she currently serves as Past President of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA). She has also held executive positions at both the provincial and local board levels.

A registered nurse, Vivian completed her undergraduate studies at Western University, earned a master’s degree in nursing with a focus on teaching from Athabasca University, and obtained her doctorate in Educational Sustainability with a specialization in palliative care nursing from Nipissing University.

Today, her passion lies in fostering a strong academic experience for students, with a particular emphasis on integrating palliative care education within health science programs.