NP
The NP recipient of the 2025 Nursing Now Ontario Awards is Amy Horton. Since beginning her career in 2002, Horton has worked in various settings, including a fly-in Indigenous community, an HIV clinic, public health and a family health team. In 2012, she took on the role of nurse educator, teaching in the primary health care NP program at McMaster University before moving on to Western University, where she currently works as the associate director of the undergraduate BScN programs.
Horton attained her NP certificate from Western University in 2006 after working in the north with Indigenous communities and experiencing more autonomy in her practice. Horton says she’s happy to see that the NP role has evolved since she first graduated, with more opportunities being available beyond primary care. She never thought she would end up in her current position, which she says is a testament to how varied the profession can be. She tells her students that you never know where nursing will take you, and there are moments in your practice that will confirm you chose the right profession.
In her 10 years working at Western University, Horton has also been involved in re-shaping the curriculum for NPs. She was also involved in the development of the Ontario RN prescribing curriculum, developing the contraceptive prescribing module being delivered at Windsor University. In her spare time, Horton works at Huron Perth Public Health Unit’s sexual health clinics.
Horton’s colleagues describe her “an exceptional leader and clinician who lives and breathes evidence-informed approaches.” She advocates for excellence in NP education and practice and fosters a collaborative learning environment for her students.
Nursing now awards
