​Bonnie Nicholas is the Patient Family Centred Care Lead, Patient Advocate at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Bonnie's nursing career began 35 years ago in Thunder Bay, ON Canada and has included bedside nursing in Surgery, Critical Care, Education, and Utilization Management.  In the fall of 2008, upon returning from working in the USA for 10 years in the New England area as a Donation Coordinator, she began working at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre to implement a patient and family centred model of care. 

As the Patient Family Centred Care Lead, Patient Advocate, Bonnie has led the organization on their Patient Family Centred Care journey and developed a robust Patient Family Advisory Program that integrates the voice of the patient and their families in "everything we do".   This collaboration with the patients, families, staff, physicians, volunteers and community has led to improved patient and staff satisfaction and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre to the first and only organization in Canada to receive a "Patient Family Centred Care Leading Practice" designation from Accreditation Canada in 2011.