Photo of Steven Cairns
Full-time Faculty

Dr. Steven Cairns

About

Biography

Steve Cairns has led a dual career in nursing and outdoor education which has enabled experiences in diverse geographies and communities, informing his research focus on nurses’ engagement in planetary health. Current roles include serving as Ontario Representative for the Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment (CANE-AIIE) and as Executive Member of the Ontario Nurses for the Environment (ONE–IIOE), an interest group of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO). Steve has completed three Advanced Clinical Practice Fellowships (ACPF) through the RNAO as well as the Caritas Coach Education Program (CCEP), through the Watson Caring Science Institute. Steve enjoys an active lifestyle in all seasons with family and friends in Bracebridge, Ontario.

Positions

Full-time Faculty
Faculty of Education and Professional Studies - School of Nursing - Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) to BScN Blended Program
Full-time Faculty
Faculty of Education and Professional Studies - School of Nursing - Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN)
Full-time Faculty
Faculty of Education and Professional Studies - School of Nursing

Education

BScN, McMaster University
BEd, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education - University of Toronto
MEd, University of British Columbia
PhD, York University
Research Interests / Areas
Areas of Specialization:

Planetary Health nursing, critical caring theory, online learning engagement, intercultural education, interprofessional health education, program development and evaluation.

Research Interests:
  • Exploring nursing engagement in planetary health
  • Exploring health and wellbeing through a planetary health nursing lens
  • Relational nursing practice within technology-enabled learning
  • Exploring best practices in PhD seminar coursework
Current & Future Research:
  • An exploration of patters of critical caring among nurses facing climate and ecological crisis
  • An Exploration of the Value and Best Practices Associated with Doctoral Seminar Courses for PhD Nursing Students in Canada
  • Practice Spotlight Organization: Exploring Student Engagement of Evidence-Informed Practice in a Professional Foundations in Nursing Course Research Committee
About

Publications

Cairns, S. (2025) If Not Us, Then Who? A Focused Ethnography Exploring Caring Patterns Among Planetary Health Nurses. Witness: The Canadian Journal of Critical Nursing Discourse, 7(2), pp 48-65.  https://doi.org/10.25071/2291-5796.182

van Daalen-Smith, C., Venkatesaperumal, R., Johnson, S., Cairns, S., Beattie, B. & Hilborn, B. (2025). The Doctoral Seminar in nursing: an exploration of the literature and trends found in Canadian syllabi. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 22(1), 20220029. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2022-0029

Cairns, S. (2020). Paradigm as soul time: a concept analysis of nursing and environment. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Cairns, S., Nash, J. (2018). Building Bridges: Interprofessional education that brings people and professions together, Center for Interprofessional Education. https://mailchi.mp/f0ca66141c74/uoft-centre-for-ipe-june-2017-newslette…

Cairns, S. (2015). Community Action: Promoting citizen rights to clean air, water and soil. [Newsletter] Ontario Nurses Environmental Interest Group, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario.

Salyers, V., Carter, L., Cairns, S., Durrer, L., &. (2014). The use of scaffolding and interactive learning strategies in online courses for working nurses: Implications for adult and online education. Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education, 40(1). http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/cjuce-rcepu/article/view/22199

Presentations:

2025

Cairns, S., Donato, E., Dunham, S., Killam, L., McCullough, K., & Thompson, D. (2025, June 9–13). Gaining traction in the snow: Building and sustaining a collaborative network for interprofessional education in Northern Ontario, Canada [Poster presentation]. International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress, Helsinki, Finland

Cairns, S., Manankil-Rankin, L., (2025, June 9-13). A Story of Fellowship: Supporting nurses’ health and well-being through nature connectedness [Poster presentation]. International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress, Helsinki, Finland

Manankil-Rankin, L., McCullough, K., Stevens, C., Caswell, W., Fitzgerald, S., McParland, T., Cairns, S., Ranger, K. (2025, June 9-13). Exploring the realms of becoming an evidence-informed practitioner in nursing students: Case study research [Poster presentation]. International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress, Helsinki, Finland

2024

Cairns, S. (2024, November 14). Networking for Environmental Health IPE in Northern Communities [presentation]. Northern Interprofessional Collaborative in Education (NICE) Virtual Conference, Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario

Cairns, S. (2024, July 10). Weaving Collaboration Through Nursing Practice [presentation]. Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO), Indigenous-focused Symposium, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Cairns, S., McCullough, K., Manakil-Rankin L. (2024, May 28). Enhancing understanding of cultural safety and humility using the Best Practice Guideline (BPG) in an academic Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO) [Presentation]. The Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) Biennial Canadian Nursing Education Conference, Calgary, Alberta

Cairns, S. (2024, May 28). A focused ethnography exploring caring patterns among planetary health nurses. [Presentation]. The Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) Biennial Canadian Nursing Education Conference, Calgary, Alberta

Cairns, S. (2024, May 28). Exploring nurses' health and well-being in relation to planetary health. [Presentation]. The Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) Biennial Canadian Nursing Education Conference, Calgary, Alberta

Special Projects

Cairns, S. (2024, July 30). Exploring health and wellbeing through a planetary health nursing lens. Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO), Advanced Clinical Practice Fellowship (ACPF), Fellowship stream: Health and wellbeing.

Cairns, S. (2024, April 27). Nursing within nature through a lens of Caring Science. Watson Caring Science Institute, Caritas Coach Education Program (CCEP), Specialty - Health and well-being, self-guided practices, Database: cairnssteven_629_9348_Class 30_CCEP_Cairns_S_Abstract Final.docx; cairnssteven_629_9612_Class 30_CCEP_Cairns_S_Poster Final.pdf

2020

Cairns, S. (2020, June). Caring in a context of climate and ecological crisis: A proposed focused ethnography of nurse leaders, Thinking Qualitatively Conference, Edmonton, AB. (conference cancelled).

Cairns, S. (2020, June). An exploration of patters of critical caring among nurses facing climate and ecological crisis, Canadian Doctoral Nursing Network Conference, Regina, SK. (conference cancelled).

2019

Cairns, S., Killam, L., Connors, M., Peachey, B. (2019, November). Creating a culture of empowered online learners. Technology Enabled Seminar & Showcase, Toronto, ON.

Cairns, S. (2019, October). Nursing and our planet: Beyond cognitive dissonance, oral presentation, Global Human Caring Conference - Victoria, BC.

Cairns, S. (2019, October). Relational engagement in online nursing education: Challenges and opportunities [poster presentation], Global Human Caring Conference - Victoria, BC.

Cairns, S. (2019, June). ‘One Health’: The moral imperative of ecological nursing, Canadian Doctoral Nursing Network (CDNN) Conference, University of Regina, Regina, SK.

Cairns, S., Manankil-Rankin, L., Spadoni, M. (2019, March). An emerging conceptual model for developing relational practice within an online community of inquiry [poster presentation], Registered Nurses Association of Ontario -Advanced Clinical Practice Fellowship (ACPF) Forum, Toronto, ON.

Cairns, S., Dabrowski, M. (2019, May). You can’t stand still on a wave: redefining human engagement in a digital learning context for a digital context, Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE), conference, Vancouver, BC.

2018

Cairns, S., Manankil-Rankin, L., Spadoni, M (2018, November). An emerging conceptual module for developing relational practice within an online community of inquiry [poster presentation], Associated Medial Services (AMS) phoenix conference, Toronto, ON.

Cairns, S., Dabrowski, M. (2018, November). Redefining humanity for a digital context, why collaboration matters, Technology Enabled Showcase & Seminar (TESS), conference, Toronto, ON.

Cairns, S., Killam, L. (2018, May). Leveraging human capacities in digital learning environments, Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE) conference, Toronto, ON.

Cairns, S., Manankil-Rankin, L., Spadoni, M. (2018, March). An Exploration of Relational Practice in Online Nursing Education – Approaches and Insights, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario -Advanced Clinical Practice Fellowship (ACPF) Forum, Toronto, ON.

2017

Cairns, S. (2017, November). The Impact of Technology on the Delivery of Compassionate Patient-Centred Care [poster presentation], Associated Medial Services (AMS) phoenix conference, Toronto, ON.

Cairns, S. (2017, November). Building a community of ‘open learners’ in northern Ontario, Northern Interprofessional Collaborative for Health Educators (NICHE) Conference, North Bay, ON.

2016

Beattie, B., Cairns, S. (2016, June). Learning Effectiveness: A Program Evaluation Framework. Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE) Conference. Waterloo, ON.

2015

Cairns, S. (2015, November). Nursing Earth, one community at a time: An examination of influencing local environmental policy through interprofessional collaboration [webinar presentation], Canadian Water Resources Association, BC Branch, Vancouver, BC.

Cairns, S. (2015, October). Your community needs you - An example of community collaboration towards political change, Northern Interprofessional Collaborative for Health Educators (NICHE) Conference. Sudbury, ON.

Cairns, S. (2015, November). Nursing Earth, one community at a time: An examination of influencing local environmental policy through interprofessional collaboration [webinar presentation], Canadian Water Resources Association, BC Branch, Vancouver, BC.

Cairns, S. (2015, October). Your community needs you - An example of community collaboration towards political change, Northern Interprofessional Collaborative for Health Educators (NICHE) Conference. Sudbury, ON.