Douglas Bungay, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar
Doug brings nearly four decades of experience in nursing and regulation, alongside a deep-rooted commitment to public safety. His career spans front-line nursing, practice leadership in administration, and nursing regulation, giving him a keen understanding of Nova Scotia’s health system.
Throughout his career, Doug has practised as a licensed practical nurse (New Waterford Consolidated School of Nursing Assistants, ‘86) and registered nurse (Aberdeen Hospital Schol of Nursing ’89: STFX ’02 and Dalhousie University ’09) bringing a valuable perspective to both scopes of practice. His regulatory leadership journey began at the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Nova Scotia as the Director of Professional Practice and Policy. Upon the creation of NSCN, Doug was appointed as the Director of Standards, Guidance, and Customer Service. He later became the Senior Director of Legislated Services and Deputy Registrar in 2019.
In this role, Doug played a critical role in shaping and achieving NSCN’s vision and goals as the principal leader of legislative operations and as a key member of the NSCN executive leadership team. He led major initiatives including modernizing registration practices and streamlining the process for those seeking nursing licensure in Nova Scotia. His work continues to support the evolving needs of Nova Scotians and the broader Canadian health care system.
As a respected senior leader in nursing regulation provincially and nationally, Doug collaborates closely with peers, governments and national and international regulatory councils. His credibility with key provincial and national partners continues to be instrumental in guiding NSCN forward.
Caroline Wolfe Stewart, Senior Director, Strategy & Operations
Caroline Wolfe Stewart, RD, BSc., MBA, is a progressive senior executive with over 20 years of experience working in the health care industry. As a registered dietitian and self-regulated professional, Caroline has worked in operational roles in acute and continuing care and has seen firsthand the positive results that come from working collaboratively in the interest of client care. As an experienced strategic leader, she has led organizations and teams through growth and transformational change using collaborative and strategic planning strategies focused on improving health outcomes.
Caroline’s role includes planning and executing the operations of the organization; leading the business strategy development and organizational initiatives; executing an evidence-based project management approach across the organization; and managing the communications and stakeholder relations.
Areas of responsibilities:
- Finance
- Procurement
- Communications
- Human Resources
- Project Management
- Information Technology
Heather Totton, Senior Director, Governance and General Counsel
Heather Totton, MSHA/LLB, RN has been a nurse for 25 years and graduated with her law degree from Dalhousie University in 2002. She has worked in a variety of positions gaining 15 years experience in the field of self-regulation, both at a provincial and national level. Heather was a member of the team that supported the creation of one nursing regulator in Nova Scotia, and used her strategic thinking to develop the basis for a new regulator that could continue to grow and evolve to best serve the public interest. A champion of accountability in self-regulation, Heather strives to seek new and improved ways to transparently demonstrate NSCN’s commitment to working collaboratively with other health care partners to ensure that nurses are able to deliver safe, competent and ethical nursing care to Nova Scotians.
Areas of responsibility:
- Governance
- Regulatory Compliance
- Risk Management
Darlene Mott, Director of Professional Conduct Services
Darlene Mott, RN, MN received her BScN degree from the St. Francis Xavier University in 1998 and went on to complete a MN from Dalhousie University in 2006. Darlene joined the College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia (CRNNS) as a Professional Conduct Consultant in 2013. She has practised nursing in many capacities in Nepal, British Columbia, Saudi Arabia and Nova Scotia and brings experience from her varied career to support a fair and respectful professional conduct process for all involved. Darlene believes in using data to make informed decisions and that regulatory bodies measure and report performance in order to demonstrate effectiveness and relevance.
Areas of responsibility:
- Complaints
- Investigations
- Fitness to Practice
Jennifer Best, Director of Standards and Guidance, Education Program Approval and Customer Experience
Jennifer Best, BScN, RN, MN, FRE, has been a nurse for 24 years. In 1998, she received a BScN from Saint Francis Xavier University and an MN from Athabasca University in 2009. In 2017, Jennifer completed the Fellowship in Regulatory Excellence Program through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing with her studies focused on the public perceptions of continuing competence of registered nurses in Nova Scotia. Most recently in 2022, Jennifer completed the International Center for Regulatory Scholarship certificate program through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Previously, Jennifer has worked in acute care in various roles, including staff nurse, nurse educator and nurse manager. Since 2012, Jennifer has worked in nursing regulation, drawing on her experiences and advanced education to provide nurses across Nova Scotia with the best possible regulatory guidance and professional practice advice to support them in their practice.
Areas of Responsibility:
- Nursing standards, practice guidance and advice
- Quality Monitoring Program
- Customer Experience
- Program approval of all entry-level nursing programs, nurse practitioner programs and nursing re-entry programs
Kate Wall, Director of Finance
Kate Wall, MBA, CPA has been a designated finance professional (CGA/CPA) for more than 20 years with progressive experience both locally and internationally. Kate has worked in for-profit organizations, government and most happily in not-for-profit organizations, particularly within the healthcare sector. Her focus is on working positively and collaboratively with partners and customers (internal and external) while focusing on continuous improvement to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the finance functions to best serve the needs of all customers.
Areas of Responsibility:
- Financial operations and management.
- Financial planning.
- Provide advice and support to the Board, CEO and Senior Leadership regarding financial matters.
- Oversee the annual audit.
- Support organizational growth and innovation.
- Contract and insurance management.
Trent MacIsaac, Director of Registration Services
Trent MacIsaac, RN/MN, has been a nurse for 29 years. In 1990 he received his Diploma in Nursing from St. Martha’s School of Nursing and later went on to complete a BScN from Saint Francis Xavier University in 2002 and an MN from Dalhousie University in 2008. As a nurse, Trent has practiced in a variety of clinical and leadership roles. Since 2011, Trent has worked in nursing regulation, drawing on his experiences to provide regulatory guidance and support. Trent has presented on behalf of the former CRNNS at both national and international conferences, and brings with him the knowledge and experience to provide nurses across Nova Scotia the best possible regulatory professional practice advice to guide and support them in their practice.
Areas of Responsibility:
- Registration and licensure services
- LPN, RN , NP licensing exams
- Program approval of all entry level nursing programs, nurse practitioner programs and nursing re-entry programs
Vicki Muscat, Director, Data & Digital Solutions
Vicki Muscat, BSc(Psych), MBA, PMI-ACP, is an advocate for data-driven-decision-making and digital transformation. She brings over 25 years of progressive, multi-sector experience in various research methods, data collection and analytics, along with over 10 years of experience enabling strategic digital transformation specific to healthcare across multiple countries. Vicki is supporting NSCN’s continued growth in regulatory excellence through enabling data-informed strategic decision making and digital tools to enhance best practices and public safety.
Areas of responsibility:
- Cybersecurity
- Data Governance
- Digital Contract Vendor Management
- Digital Integration
- Information Technology
- Data & Digital Transformation
Alison Bird, Deputy General Counsel
For nearly 15 years, Alison Bird, LLB has worked closely with professional regulators to provide legal advice on a range of issues.
As legal counsel for NSCN, Alison has the privilege of engaging with all aspects of NSCN’s regulatory work. Alison strives to look beyond traditional regulatory practices to develop more effective ways to meet NSCN’s commitment to promote the public interest in a safe, competent, compassionate and ethical nursing profession.
Key Areas of responsibility:
- Legal
- Governance
- Risk Management
Jane Wilson, Communications Lead
Bio coming soon.