Faculty & School/Dept.
Faculty of Health - - School of Nursing
Degrees
PhD - 2007
Toronto University
Toronto, Ontario
Master in Nursing - 2001
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario
Bachelor Science in Nursing - 1998
Montreal University
Montreal, Quebec
Biography
Biography
Iris Epstein is an Assistant Professor at York University. She is jointly appointed to both the School of Nursing, Faculty of Health and the Critical Disability Studies program. A mixed-method researcher, Dr. Epstein is the co-founder of the i.r.i.s (Interdisciplinary Research Inclusive Strategies) research laboratory, a program guided by critical social theory as it investigates accessibility and inclusion across diverse health professional’s education and practices utilizing the intersect between health, technology and place.
Dr. Epstein's research illuminates the ways in which relationship and technology can support or hinder accommodation and the teaching and learning of practice-based skills. Dr. Epstein program of research enhance the accessibility to resources and inclusion of health professional students who identify with disability.
Another thematic research area that Dr. Epstein explores is focused on translating evidence/creating change through knowledge mobilization. She uses processes of engaged scholarship designed to share resources and responsibilities, inform the development of theory and enhance its impact on policy, programs and practice.
Selected Publications
Epstein, I.; Rose, J.; Juergensen, L.; Mykitiuk, R.; MacEntee, K. Stephens, L. (2021). Thinking Rhizomatically and Becoming Successful with Disabled Students in the Accommodations Assemblage: Using Storytelling as Method; Nursing Inquiry, [manuscript accepted for publication Oct 25 2021 2021] DOI:10.1111/nin.12475
Epstein, I.; Baljko, M.; Stephens, L; Magel, B.; Dadashi, N.; Smith, H. & Bulk, L. (2021).Document Landscape: Exploring What Shapes the Experiences of Disabled Students in Practice Based Education, Canadian Journal of Disabilities Studies [manuscript accepted Oct 13 2021]
Mack, T.L., Stephens, L. & Epstein, I., (2021). Rethinking clinical essential requirements to increase inclusiveness for nursing students with disabilities: An interdisciplinary lens, Canadian Journal of Disabilities Studies [in print]
Epstein, I., Stephens, L., Mora Severino, S., Khanlou, N., Mack, T.L., Barker, D., & Dadashi, N. (2020). “Ask me what I need”: A call for shifting responsibility upwards and creating inclusive learning environments in clinical placement. Nurse Education Today, 92, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2020.10450
Epstein, I., Baljko, M., Thumlert, K., Kelly, E., Smith, J. A., Su, Y., Zaki-Azat, J. N. & May, N. M. (2020). “A video of myself helps me learn”: A scoping review of the evidence of video-making for situated learning. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 14(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2020.140109
Epstein, I., Bertram, M. S., Lightstone, E., Pham, T. T. T., Quach, L., Santos-Macias, J., & Skardzius, K. (2020). Feedback on video skill: A concept analysis. International Network on Youth Integration (INYI) Journal, 10(2), 5-14.
Epstein, I., Khanlou, N., Ermel, R. E., Sherk, M., Simmonds, K. K., Balaquiao, L., & Chang, K. Y. (2019). Students who identify with a disability and instructors’ experiences in nursing practice: A scoping review. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 19, 91-118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-019-00129-7
Other Research Outputs
Check out the following sites if you are interested to be involved, seeking supervision experiences or just want to use and explore some of the resources developed in the i.r.i.s lab
A. Smartphone video-based and storytelling are used in a mixed method design to understand accessibility and inclusion across diverse health professional’s education and practices. The program includes several projects such as Smartphone Accommodation Resource Toolbox (SmART) http://smart-toolbox.eecs.yorku.ca/ , an interdisciplinary tool for accommodating teaching and learning practice-based skills,
B. If you want to be involved in our AcTon and AcTinSite projects please check following site for more info. http://actinsite.ca
AcTon and AcTinsite are a multi-institutional projects which explore the accessibility and inclusions of resources and their meaning in clinical placement for health professional students who identify with disability.
Supervision
Currently available to supervise graduate students: Yes
Currently taking on work-study students, Graduate Assistants or Volunteers: Yes
Available to supervise undergraduate thesis projects: Not Indicated
Current Research
Research Projects
Baljko M., Epstein, I.; Stephens, L.; Dadashi, N. (2021-2023) Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC),Connection Grant. The purpose is to develop AcTinSite as a Community of Practice: Knowledge mobilization and sustainability
Epstein, I.;Stephens, L.; Baljko, M.; Stevens, B.; Khanlou, N.; Mastrilli, P.; Dadashi, N. (2020-2023).Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Insight Grant. This an interdiscipline crosssectional study with the goal of supporting Accommodation to Include Students with Disabilities in Placement Sites (AcTinSite): Visit site for more info get involved https://actinsite.eecs.yorku.ca/
Jarus, T.; Epstein, I.; Katzman, E.; Yoshida, K.; Stephens, L.; Aubrecht, K.; Kimpson, S.; Newton, (2019-2022) New Frontiers in Research Fund: Exploration The goal of this health professional interdiscipline is to co-develop Strategies for Increasing Accessibility and Equity in Health and Human Service Educational Programs: National Perspectives
Khanlou, N.; Bohr, Y.; Connolly, J.; Epstein, I.; Mgwigwi, T.; Pashang, S. Ahmad, F.; Alamdar, N.; Zahraei, S. (2020) Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant: Knowledge Synthesis:COVID-19 in Mental Health & Substance Use The goal is to develop COVID-19 Pandemic Guidelines for Mental Health Support of Racialized Women at Risk of Gender-Based Violence
Epstein, I. Khanlou, N.; Nicholson, L.; Jennings, A. Dadashi, N., Stephens, L.; Barker, D.; Mihailidis, A.; Faloutsos, P.; Andrew, J. (2018-2020) Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Insight Development Grant (IDG) UNLOCS_PD; Understanding Nursing Landscape of Clinical Placements for Students with Disabilities: A Participatory Design Approach
Research Projects
Prespectives of nursing students with disability and instructors on landscape of nursing clinical placements
Using interactive diary and storytelling methodology this multi site research project explores the experiences of nursing students who identify with disability and instructors on the teaching and learning landscape of nursing clinical placements
Role: Principal Investigator
Amount funded: $77,000
Year Funded: 2017
Duration: 2
Funded by: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
SmART-Smartphone Accommodation Resource Toolbox
Role: Principal Investigator
Amount funded: $93.000
Year Funded: 2018
Duration: 2
Funded by: York University
Accommodation to include students with disability in clinical placement: Interdisciplinary interventions
See project website for all partners and investigators information. http://actinsite.eecs.yorku.ca/
Role: Principal Investigator
Amount funded: $268,000
Year Funded: 2020
Duration: 3
Funded by: Canada Foundation for Innovation
Multimedia resource to support students with disability placement communication needs : A multidisciplinary intervention
Role: Principal Investigator
Amount funded: $58,000
Year Funded: 2020
Duration: 1
Funded by: York University