The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) has elected Professor Bukola Salami, a Canada-based Nigerian nurse, as its vice president.

A professor at the University of Calgary, Salami was elected during the association’s virtual annual meeting of members on Thursday. She contested against Farah Khan, a nurse who boasts over 20 years of professional experience and is an adjunct lecturer in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto.

Until her latest position, Salami was a board member of the association. She obtained a degree in nursing from the University of Windsor, Ontario, in 2004. She got a master of nursing administration degree and a PhD from the University of Toronto in 2008 and 2014, respectively.

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Salami’s profile posted on the nurses association’s website shows that she has had an impactful career, founding several initiatives at the intersection of migrants’ health and Black youth’s development. Her work on the mental health of Black youth led to the creation of the first mental health clinic for Black Canadians in Western Canada.

“I am a registered nurse and a tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Black and Racialized People’s Health at the University of Calgary,” her short bio posted on the nurses association’s website read.

“Prior to my academic career, I was a registered nurse at the Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, ON) and an inter-professional educator on immigrant health. From 2014 to 2023, I was a professor of nursing at the University of Alberta.

“My last role at that institution was as Director of the Intersections of Gender Signature Area, where I led the creation of an Institute for Intersectional Studies. I founded and continue to lead the African Child and Youth Migration Network, a network of 42 scholars from four continents.

“In 2020, I founded the Black Youth Mentorship and Leadership Program. My work on the mental health of Black youth informed the creation of the first mental health clinic for Black Canadians in Western Canada. I have presented my work to several policymakers (including the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health).

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“I serve as an Editor for the Canadian Journal of Nursing Research and am on the editorial board of two additional journals: Nursing Inquiry and Nursing Philosophy. I am an advisory board member of the CIHR Institute for Human Development, Child and Youth Health and on the Government of Canada’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Global Health.”

Responding to a CNA’s congratulatory tweet on X (previously Twitter) on Friday, Salami said she looked forward to using her position to advance inclusive health equity and outcomes in partnership with diverse industry stakeholders in Canada.