Director, Communication Skills Program

Dr. Joan Evans

Dr. Joan Evans joined the Division of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine as the Director Communications Skills program on August 1, 2006, as Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Professions. Dr. Evans held the position of Associate Director Graduate Programs in the School of Nursing as well as a visiting scholar appointment at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. In her position as Director Communications Skills program, Dr. Evans will be responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of communication skills training across the continuum of medical education.

In addition to extensive teaching experience at the undergraduate and graduate levels, Dr. Evans has worked in the specialties of community and occupational health and emergency nursing in roles that have included: administrator, staff nurse, charge nurse, outpost nurse, medical officer with the Canadian Coast Guard, and oil rig medic. Many of her employment opportunities have included transcultural and international experiences. In remote areas of Northern Ontario, Canada she worked with First Nations communities to provide primary care services. She has also worked on oil exploration projects offshore Eastern Canada and Morocco and on land based drilling projects in Ghana providing emergency and illness care services to an international workforce and local populations.

Dr. Evans’ academic history reveals a commitment to continuing professional development and lifelong learning. Since obtaining a diploma in nursing from Toronto General Hospital, School of Nursing, she has completed a diploma of Public Health Nursing, a certificate in outpost/nurse practitioner studies, a Bachelor and Master of Nursing, and a PhD in Education. A major focus of her graduate studies has been the area of adult education.

Dr. Evans has an active program of research focused on gender and health. She is the principal investigator on a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada funded project exploring men and masculinities in nursing. She has also been a co-principal investigator on several other funded research projects that have examined gender and sexual health in relation to the experience of men and women living with prostate and breast cancer. She has presented at numerous national and international conferences and published several articles in peer reviewed journals.