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Dr. Shelley Canning is a Professor in Nursing at the University of the Fraser Valley and the Director of UFV’s Centre for Education and Research on Ageing (CERA). Shelley is currently the Past-President of the Gerontological Nurses’ Association of British Columbia.

Shelley completed her PhD at the School of Nursing at UBC where her dissertation research explored issues of engagement, meaning, and quality of life for older adults with advanced dementia living in LTC. Shelley also obtained her BSN (hons) and MSN from UBC; prior to this she completed a BSc and secondary school teaching certificate (subjects: Chemistry and Literature) at the University of Victoria. Her nursing practice background includes oncology and community health. She has been a faculty member at UFV since 2006 teaching gerontology and research methods. Shelley has been involved in a variety of departmental and institutional committees including serving 2 terms as a member of the UFV Board of Governors. She has also been a senator and served for many years on the Senate Research Committee. Her teaching is geared towards developing professionalism and supporting best practice with a focus on the care of older people including those living with dementia. Shelley also strives to integrate an understanding of the importance of research in supporting evidence informed practice through teaching the research methods course and supervising nursing students in conducting research through Directed Studies courses.

PhD - University of British Columbia

MSN - University of British Columbia

BSN (hons) - University of British Columbia

PDP - Secondary Teaching Certificate, University of Victoria

BSc - Microbiology & Biochemistry, University of Victoria

British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives
Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of British Columbia
Gerontological Nurses’ Association of BC
Canadian Gerontological Nurses Association
Canadian Association on Ageing

• Person-centred care
• Ageing and dementia
• Nursing professionalism

• Aging & ageism
• Dementia & personhood
• Arts-based methods
• Intergenerational connections
• Long-term care

• Michael Smith/Alzheimer’s Society of BC Partnership C2 Grant
• CIHR Implementation Science Grant
• Alzheimer’s Society of Canada
• CIHR Travel Award
• UFV Faculty of Health Sciences Research Grant
• UBC Hampton Endowment Research Fund
• SSHRC Aid for Small Universities Grant

Note: * indicates UFV student

International Conferences (past 5 years only):

Canning, S. E., McKenzie, M., St-Martin, G., Kaur, J., Percival, N., Wan, R*., Brar, J*., Jackson, L, & Makartoff, S. (2024). Caring for Cancer Patients Living with Dementia: Challenges and Ways Forward. Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting. Seattle, November. (poster)

Canning, S. E., & St-Martin, E. (2021). Navigating Arts-based Artefacts: Exploring Children’s Drawings and Letters in an Intergenerational Pen Pals Project. Thinking Qualitatively International Conference. Virtual Conference, July. (poster)

Hung, L., Gregorio, M., Jackson, L., Mann, J., Berndt, A., Wallsworth, C., Wong, L., Leitch, S., Gan, D., Canning, S. E., Chaudhury, H., & Phinney, A. (2020). Creating a Dementia-Friendly Community for Social Inclusion: a Scoping Review. Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, Virtual Conference, July. (poster)

National Conferences (past 5 years only):

Dahl, C.*, & Canning, S. E.  (2025). Exploring the Experiences of Nurse Practitioners: Providing Health Promotion and Prevention to Older Adults with Chronic Illnesses. Canadian Gerontological Nurses Association, May, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Canning, S. E., Couse, C., & Dahl, C*. (2025). Building Connections and Challenging Perceptions: A Collaborative Visual Arts Course Partnering University Students with People Living with Dementia. Canadian Gerontological Nurses Association, May, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Canning, S. E., Phinney, A., Leijin, A M, & Percival, N. (2025). Locked Units in LTC: What Happens When You Unlock the Door? Canadian Gerontological Nurses Association, May, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Canning, S. E., Swan, O*., & Pritchard Orr, A. (2024). Cycling Without Age: Innovative Access to the Natural Environment. Canadian Association on Gerontology, October, Edmonton, Alberta.

Canning, S. E., & Brown, J. (2024). Using Intergenerational Connections to Bring Gerontology Nursing to Life. Canadian Association on Gerontology, October, Edmonton, Alberta.

Canning, S. E., Janzen, A*., & Pritchard Orr, A. (2023). Cycling Without Age: Experiences of Intergenerational Pilots and Passengers. Canadian Association on Gerontology, October, Toronto, Ontario.

Canning, S. E., McKenzie, M., St-Martin, G., Kaur, J., Percival, N., Wan, R*., Brar, J.*, Jackson, L, & Makartoff, S. (2023). Implementing Dementia-Friendly Cancer Care. Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists & Canadian Association of Radiation Oncologist (joint scientific meeting), September, Montreal, Quebec.

Canning, S. E., McKenzie, M., St-Martin, G., Kaur, J., Percival, N., Wan, R*., Brar, J*., Jackson, L, & Makartoff, S. (2023). Implementing Dementia-Friendly Cancer Care. Canadian Gerontological Nurses Association, April, Niagara, Ontario.

Canning, S. E., & Hung, L. (2023). Engaging Undergraduate Students in Gerontology Through Research. Canadian Gerontological Nurses Association, April, Niagara, Ontario.

Canning, S. E., Hung, L., Kaur, J., McKenzie, M., & St-Martin, G. (2022) Implementing a Dementia- Friendly Care Approach for Cancer Patients Living with Dementia. Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology, October, Victoria.

Canning, S. E., Blakeborough, D., Corman, M., Couse, C., Hatfield, G., Hughes, A., Jessiman, Murray, G., & Pritchard Orr, A. (2022) How age-friendly are we? Conducting an age-friendly university audit. Canadian Association on Ageing, October, Regina

Canning, S. E., St-Martin, E., Brown, J., Cusick, N*., & Klassen, R.*, & Couse, C. (2022) Introducing age and dementia awareness learning activities to school children. Canadian Association on Ageing, October, Regina.
Canning, S. E., St-Martin, E., Ramirez Luis, Z., * & C. Couse, (2022) Employing arts-based methods to explore perceptions of age and dementia among school children. Canadian Association on Ageing, October, Regina.

Canning, S. E., Cusick, N.*, Klassen, R.*, Hung, L., Affleck, F., & Phinney, A. (2021). Nursing students and seniors: using technology to maintain social connections during Covid19. Canadian Association on Ageing Conference, Oct.

Canning, S. E, Cusick, N.*, Klassen, R.*, Hung, L., Affleck, F., & Phinney, A. (2021). Nursing students and seniors: using technology to maintain social connections during Covid19. Canadian Association on Ageing Conference, Oct.

Canning, S. E., Cusick, N*, Kwidzinski, L., & Blakeborough, D. (2021). Looking back: remembering an intergenerational ballet programme. Canadian Association on Ageing Conference, Oct.

Canning, S. E., & St-Martin E. (2021). Intergenerational pen pals: bridging social isolation through narratives. Canadian Gerontological Nurses’ Association Conference, April.

Drew, C.*, & Canning, S. E. (2021). Exploring the understanding and comfort levels of nursing students with medical assistance in dying (MAiD). Canadian Gerontological Nurses’ Association Conference, April. (poster presentation)

(past 5 years only - note: * indicates UFV student)

Canning, S. E., & Drew, C*. (2022). Exploring the understanding and comfort levels of nursing students with medical assistance in dying (MAiD). Quality Advancement in Nursing Education, 8(2). DOI:10.17483/2368-6669.1326

Canning, S. E. (2020). Understanding the experience of emotional and social engagement for people with advanced dementia living in long-term care. (Doctoral Dissertation, University of British Columbia. Retrieved from University of British Columbia: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/76261

Canning, S. E., & Blakeborough, D. (2019) Intergenerational Dance in Long-term Care: An Opportunity for Social Citizenship for Older Adults Living with Dementia. BC Studies, no. 202 Summer, 167-179.

Blakeborough, D., & Canning, S. E. (2019) Intergenerational Dance in Long-term Care: An Opportunity for Social Citizenship for Older Adults Living with Dementia. BC Studies, no. 202 Summer, (Practice Exemplar).

Canning, S. E., Gaetz, M., & Blakeborough, D. (2020). It takes time: Building relationships and understanding through an inter-generational ballet programme. Dementia, 19(2), 270-284. doi.org/10.1177/1471301218772895