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Oona St-Amant

Associate Professor
DepartmentDaphne Cockwell School of Nursing
EducationBScN, MScN, PhD
OfficeDCC-575-D, Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex
Phone416-979-5000, ext. 557986
Areas of ExpertiseQualitative research methodology; Unpaid care work; Ethnography; Family caregiving; Double duty caregiving; Volunteer work; Family caregiving and substance use; Health promotion

My program of research touches on three broad (yet overlapping) domains of unpaid care work: 1) international volunteer unpaid health work; 2) family caregiving; and 3) double duty caregiving (health care providers who are simultaneously unpaid family caregivers). These domains of unpaid care work are shaped by the broader socio- political, cultural, and economic environment, which reproduce and inform social norms, values and expectations of care work. While I use an array of qualitative methodologies to examine these forms of care work and have employed various ethnographic approaches as it is a particularly useful tool for exposing cultural (norms, beliefs, practices) power and oppression, the outcome of my work has focused on changes to enhance supports for community. Furthermore, I have used an array of knowledge mobilization strategies (art-based theatrical performance, open educational resources, virtual gaming simulation) to bring awareness and social change to the broader context in which unpaid care work occurs. I work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams to carry out my research work. I have held several external (seven) and internal (eighteen) grants as principal investigator and co-applicant which have contributed to my program of research. 

Currently accepting graduate students.

Teaching responsibilities:

  • MN 8902: Qualitative Research Methods: Design and Critical Appraisal
  • NSE 13: Assessment of the Health Individual 
  • NSE 112: Professional Development: Social, Political and Economic Perspectives
  • NSE 21: Concepts: Individual and Family
  • NSE 101: Communication for the Nursing Professional

Teaching interests:

  • Open education
  • Virtual gaming simulation
  • International student placements and experiential learning
  • Hermeneutics, the co-creation of knowledge

Research interests:

  • Ethnography, qualitative research design
  • Unpaid care work

Selected research projects:

  • 2019-2026. Inclusive Communities for Older Immigrants (ICOI): Developing multi-level, multi-component interventions to reduce social isolation and promote connectedness among older immigrants in Canada. SSHRC Partnership Grant. ($2,499,996). PI: Sepali Guruge. S. Agrawal, M. Charpentier, S. Chau, D. Cloutier, I. Ferrer, A. Grenier, B. Gurm, J. Hanley, S. Hordyk, K. Kobayashi, S. Koehn, M. Laquerre, M. Markle-Reid, S. Massoui, J. Ploeg, J. Salma, B. Sethi, J. Shields, S. Soudani, S. Soltane, O. St-Amant, H. Tong, C. Walsh, Z., Zhuang
  • 2019-2022. Promoting Just and Inclusive End of Life Decision Making for Long Term Care Residents with Dementia and their Care Partners. CIHR Project Grant. ($195,075).  PI: Nisha Sutherland. O. St-Amant, S. Dupuis, P. Kontos, E. Wiersma, & B. Mariette
  • 2019-2021. Promoting Mental Health of Migrant Caregivers in Canada. CIHR Planning and Dissemination Grant. ($7,000). PI: O St-Amant. M. Vahabi (co-PI), JPH Wong, B. Salami, B., & K. Fung
  • 2017-2019. Student Placements Abroad and in Canada’s Northern Communities: A Critical Analysis of the Integration of ‘Global’ and ‘Local’ Knowledge in Nursing Pedagogy. ($63,672). PI: O. St-Amant. N. Sutherland. 

Books:

Book chapters:

  • Lapum, J., Hughes, M., St-Amant, O., Seto Nielsen, Pemasani, M., & Creer, R (2021). Chapter 1: Introduction to Health Assessment. Toronto. Retrieved from https://pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca/assessmentnursing/ Open educational resource.   
  • Bailey, A. St-Amant, O., Ziegler, E., Seto Nielsen, L., Savicevic, N., Petrie, P., Accettola, E., Pemasani, M., Andrew, A., Creer, R., Hughes, M., & Lapum, J. (2021). Chapter 2: Inclusive Approaches to Health Assessment. Toronto. Retrieved from https://pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca/assessmentnursing/ Open educational resource.
  • Lapum, J., St-Amant, O., Garcia, W., & Rahman, R. (2019). Chapter 1: An introduction to Canada’s Food Guide. In J.Lapum & O.St-Amant (Eds.), Interpreting Canada’s 2019 food guide and food labelling for health professionals. Toronto. Retrieved from: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/foodguide/part/canadas-food-guide/ (external link) 
  • Lapum, J., Seto Nielsen, L., St-Amant, O., & Rahman, R. (2019). Chapter 3: Integrating the food guide into the nursing process. In J.Lapum & O.St-Amant (Eds.), Interpreting Canada’s 2019 food guide and food labelling for health professionals. Toronto. Retrieved from: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/foodguide/part/integrating-the-food-guide-into-the-nursing-process/ (external link) 
  • English, K., St-Amant, O. & Lapum, J. (2019). Chapter 1: An Introduction to immunizations. In O. St-Amant, J. Lapum, & V. Dubey (Eds.), Vaccine practice for health professionals: 1st Canadian edition. (Open Education Resource). https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/immunizations/ (external link) .
  • St-Amant, O., Lapum, J. & Beckerman, K. (2019). Chapter 2: Understanding the timing of vaccine. In O. St-Amant, J. Lapum, & V. Dubey (Eds.), Vaccine practice for health professionals: 1st Canadian edition. (Open Education Resource). https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/immunizations/ (external link) .
  • St-Amant, O., Lapum, J. & Beckerman, K. (2019). Chapter 3: Vaccine administration and storage. In O. St-Amant, J. Lapum, & V. Dubey (Eds.), Vaccine practice for health professionals: 1st Canadian edition. (Open Education Resource).  https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/immunizations/ (external link) .
  • St-Amant, O., Lapum, J., Beckerman, K., & Huang, S. (2019). Chapter 4: Vaccine safety. In O. St-Amant, J. Lapum, & V. Dubey (Eds.), Vaccine practice for health professionals: 1st Canadian edition. (Open Education Resource). https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/immunizations/ (external link) .
  • St-Amant, O., Lapum, J., Berckerman, K., & Huang, S. (2019). Chapter 5: Responding to vaccine hesitancy. In O. St-Amant, J. Lapum, & V. Dubey (Eds.), Vaccine practice for health professionals: 1st Canadian edition. (Open Education Resource). https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/immunizations/ (external link) .
  • Lapum, J., Verkuyl, M., Hughes, M., St-Amant, O., Romaniuk, D., Betts, L., & Mastrilli, P. (2018). Design and creation of virtual gaming simulations in nursing education. In R. Gordon and D. McGonigle (Eds.), Virtual Simulation in Nursing Education. Springer Publishing. 127-141.

Journal articles:

  • Lapum, J., Bailey, A., St-Amant, O., Hughes, M., Garmaise, J., & Mistry, S. (2022). Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Open Educational Resources: An Interpretive Description of Students’ Perspectives. Nurse Education Today.
  • St-Amant, O., Shiga, J., Hauck, G., & Au Duong, J. (accepted). Translating knowledge through arts-based pedagogy: Unpacking global service learning. International Journal of Nursing Education and Scholarship.
  • Verkuyl, M., St-Amant, O., Atack, L., MacEachern, D., Laird, A., Mastrilli, P., Flores, G., & Hamilton Gunn. (2022). Virtual Simulations’ Impact on Clinical Practice: Qualitative Study. Clinical Simulation in Nursing. 68:19-27.
  • Pimienta, J., St-Amant, O., Guruge, S., Hart, C., Catallo C. (2022). Examining Newcomer Women’s Experiences with Perinatal Care in Ontario: An Application of Carspecken’s Critical Ethnographic Method. Qualitative Research Report. 27(3).
  • Verkuyl, M., Atack, L., Lapum, J., Hughes, M., St-Amant, O., Petrie, P. (2021). User Engagement Using an Etextbook: A Descriptive Study. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 39(11): 668-674.
  • St-Amant, O., & Schwind, J. (2021). Mothers Caring for Adult Children with Substance Use Disorder: Understanding Lived Experience. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research. 1-9.
  • St-Amant, O., Rummens, J.A., Wilson-Mitchell, K., & Parada, H. (2021). The COVID-19 Mask: Towards an Understanding of Social Meanings and Responses. Advances in Nursing Science.
  • Vallee, K., Babenko-Mould, Y., Ward-Griffin, C., St-Amant, O. & White, J. (accepted with revisions Mar 2021). Identifying as Indigenous. International Indigenous Policy Journal.
  • Verkuyl, M., MacKenna, V., St-Amant, O. (2021). Using self-debrief after a virtual simulation: The process. Clinical Simulation in Nursing. 57
  • St-Amant, O., Vahabi, M., Wong, J.C., Salami, B., Fung, K., Miholjcic, J., & Tan, V. (2021). Invisible diaspora: A scoping review of migrant caregivers’ social integration trajectory. International Health Trends and Perspectives. 1(1).
  • Verkuyl, M., Atack, L., Lapum, J., Hughes, M., St-Amant, O., & Petrie, P. (2021). User engagement using an etextbook: A descriptive study. Computers, Informatics, Nursing.
  • St-Amant, O., Sutherland, N. (2020).  Unpacking hidden curriculum in nursing education: Clinical placements abroad. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship. 17(1): 20190128
  • Verkuyl, M., Lapum, J., St-Amant, O., Hughes, M., Romaniuk, D., & McCulloh, T. (2020). Exploring debriefing combinations after a virtual simulation. Journal of Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 40(C), 36—42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2019.12.002.
  • Verkuyl, M., St-Amant, O., Lapum, J., Hughes, M., & Bregstein, J. (2020). Exploring Interprofessional Healthcare Students Use of an Open Educational Resource on Vital Sign Measurement. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning.
  • Verkuyl, M., St-Amant, O., Hughes, M., Lapum, J., & McCulloch, T. (2019). Combining debriefing methods in simulation. Journal of Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 37, 32-39.
  • Verkuyl, M., Hughes, M., Atack, L., McCulloch, T., Lapum, J.L., Romaniuk, D. & St-Amant, O. (2019). Comparison of self-debriefing alone or in combination with group debrief. Journal of Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 37, 32-39.
  • Verkuyl, M., Lapum, J., St-Amant, O., Hughes, M., Romaniuk, D., & Mastrilli, P. (2019). Designing virtual gaming simulations. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 32, 8-12.
  • Lapum, J., St-Amant, O., Verkuyl, M., Garcia, W., Tan, A., Freeman, W., & Savicevic, N. (2019). Designing open access, educational resources. Quality of Advancement of Nursing Education, 5(2):7.
  • Verkuyl, M., Lapum, J., St-Amant, O., Tan, A., & Garcia, W. (2018). Engaging students in the production of open educational resources. Nurse Education Today, 71, 75-77.
  • St-Amant, O., Ward-Griffin, C., Berman, H., & Vainio-Mattila, A. (2018). Client or volunteer? Understanding neoliberalism and neocolonialism within international health work. Journal of Global Qualitative Nursing Research. 
  • Verkuyl, M., Lapum, J., St-Amant, O., Betts, L., Hughes, M. (2018). An Exploration of Debriefing in Virtual Simulation. Journal of Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 13(11), 591–594.
  • DeForge, R., Ward-Griffin, C., St-Amant, O., Hall, J., McWilliam, C., Forbes, D., Kloseck, M., & Oudshoorn, A. (2018). Evaluating Dementia Home Care Practices: A Reification of Care Norms. Journal of Aging Studies. 43:23-31.
  • Verkuyl, M., Hughes, M., Betts, L., Tsui, J., St-Amant, O., & Lapum, J. (2017) Virtual Gaming Simulation in Nursing Education: A Focus Group Study. Journal of Nursing Education. 56(1):274-280.
  • Lapum, J. & St. Amant, O (2015). Visual images in undergraduate nursing education. Nurse Educator, 41(3), 112-114.
  • Ward-Griffin, C., Brown, J., St-Amant, O., Keefe, J., Martin-Matthews, A., Kerr, M., & Sutherland, N. (2014). Nurses negotiating professional-familial care boundaries: striving for balance. Journal of Family Nursing (2012-166).
  • St-Amant, O., Ward-Griffin, C., Brown, J., Martin-Matthews, Sutherland, N., A., Keefe, J., & Kerr, M., (2014). Professionalizing familial care: Examining nurses’ unpaid family care work. Advances in Nursing Scienc. 37(2):117-131.
  • St-Amant, O., Ward-Griffin, C., Hall, J., DeForge, R., McWilliam, C., Forbes, D., Oudshoorn, A., (2012). Making Care Decisions in Home-Based Dementia Care: Why Context Matters. Canadian Journal on Aging, 31(4): 423-434.
  • Ward-Griffin, C., Hall, J., DeForge, R., St-Amant, O., McWilliam, C., Oudshoorn, A., Forbes, D., & Klosek, M. (2012). Dementia home care resources: How are we managing? Journal of Aging Research, (volume 2012), 11 pages.
  • Forbes, D., Ward-Griffin, C., Klosek, Mendelsohn, M., St-Amant, O, & DeForge, R. (2011). My World Gets Smaller and Smaller With Nothing To Look Forward To: Dimensions of Social Inclusion and Exclusion Among Rural Dementia Care Networks. Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care,11(2):27-42.
  • Ward-Griffin, C., St-Amant, O., & Brown, J. (2011). Compassion fatigue within double duty caregiving: Nurse-daughters caring for elderly parents, OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 16(1), ms4.
  • Krueger, P., St-Amant, O., Loeb, M. (2010). Predictors of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine among older adults with pneumonia: Findings from the Community Acquired Pneumonia Study. BioMed Central Geriatrics, 10:44, 1-9.