SheLeads: Shela Hirani

Dr. Shela Hirani, a nursing professional, nurse-academician, and nurse-researcher specializing in maternal and child health, is a leader of change and inspiration in both Pakistan and Canada. For 12 years, Dr. Hirani worked at the Aga Khan University in Pakistan as a Registered Nurse and Assistant Professor.

Since immigrating to Canada in 2015, she completed a PhD in Nursing from the University of Alberta and received a number of graduate scholarships and awards. As part of her doctoral studies, Dr. Hirani travelled to a disaster-relief zone in Chitral, Pakistan, to better understand the challenges of internally displaced mothers with young children living in temporary housing.

Dr. Shela Hirani, a nursing professional, nurse-academician, and nurse-researcher specializing in maternal and child health, is a leader of change and inspiration in both Pakistan and Canada.

For 12 years, Dr. Hirani worked at the Aga Khan University in Pakistan as a Registered Nurse and Assistant Professor. Since immigrating to Canada in 2015, she completed a PhD in Nursing from the University of Alberta and received a number of graduate scholarships and awards. As part of her doctoral studies, Dr. Hirani travelled to disaster-relief zone in Chitral, Pakistan, to better understand the challenges of internally displaced mothers with young children living in temporary housing.

Dr. Hirani is now an Associate Professor with the University of Regina's Faculty of Nursing. She serves as a teacher, mentor, guide, and role model for the next generation of nurses. She pushes her students to apply scientific evidence in their practice, use a critical and reflective approach while providing care, participate in ethical decision making, and provide culturally sensitive care to patients in diverse care settings. It is her goal to strengthen her student’s capabilities so they can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families, and communities in diverse care settings.

As a nurse-academician, Dr. Hirani is responsible for filling knowledge gaps and generating new knowledge in nursing. With a specialty in maternal and child health, she is currently researching mothers and young children who are affected by the pandemic, migration, disaster and displacement. She provides services on various university-based, provincial, national, and international committees which allows her to influence health program, policies, and practices.

In 2020, Dr. Hirani received the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing's Emerging Nurse Researcher award recognizing her research and academic contributions to the field. She has also been recognized as one of the 100 outstanding women nurse and midwife leaders from around the world by Women in Global Health in partnership with the World Health Organization, International Council of Nurses, an international confederation of midwives, United Nations Population Fund and Nursing Now.

The pandemic has shown how nurses are the backbone of the health care system and are crucial frontline health care professionals for Canadians. Dr. Hirani is incredibly proud to have pursued such a noble, prestigious, and rewarding career and is honoured to take part in promoting the health and well-being of vulnerable populations in diverse care settings.