Our Team

Dr. Schwind, a narrative inquirer and an award-winning educator, is an Associate Professor Emeritus at the Toronto Metropolitan University in Canada. Over her professional trajectory her work has been guided by pragmatist philosophy of experience. She continues to explore humanness-of-care within professional and therapeutic relationships through arts-informed narrative approaches, which include mindful self-awareness and the Narrative Reflective Process (NRP). NRP may serve as a qualitative data collection tool, a teaching-learning approach, and a professional development instrument. This creative self-expression approach includes storytelling, metaphors, drawing, creative writing, and reflective dialogue, tools which further strengthen empathy and compassion for self and for others.

Louela comes from a long history in teaching undergraduate nursing students. Her passion is in engaging students in reflection and reconstruction of their experiences within the teaching and learning relationship. She is an advocate of Narrative Inquiry as a foundational learning frame for becoming a nurse. Her educational interests are reflective practice, curriculum design, and program evaluation. 

Louela is an Associate Professor with Nipissing University School of Nursing. She is an Indigenous ally who has worked with Nipissing First Nation colleagues and members in understanding Indigenous wellness.  She has been instrumental in the achievement of Nipissing University School of Nursing as a Best Practice Spotlight Organization. This designation is granted to organizational affiliates who commit to integrating Best Practice Guidelines into their organizational processes. This program is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and administered by the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario.  

Emma MacGregor is a narrative inquirer whose masters thesis, titled Women's Experiences of Their First Pelvic Exam: An Arts-Informed Narrative Inquiry, explored young women’s experiences of health care encounters. For her outstanding work, Emma received Toronto Metropolitan University's most prestigious award for academic excellence and community service, the Gold Medal Award.

​

Ms. MacGregor is a PhD student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Her research program focuses on curriculum and pedagogy, specializing in holistic education with a focus on wellbeing. She is interested in the use of mindful practice, contemplation and creative, arts-informed approaches in research and education to develop knowledge, promote mindful self-compassion and empathy for others.

​

​