Vanessa Burkoski has practiced nursing for 23 years in Windsor, Ontario. She is a graduate of the University of Windsor, having earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, her Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate and Master of Science Degree in Nursing. Currently, Vanessa is pursuing a Doctorate in Health Administration. Her dissertation work involves a quantitative causal-comparative study of the effect of non-urgent and less urgent emergency department visits on overcrowding.

Previously, Vanessa held the position of Director of Emergency and Critical Care Services at Windsor Regional Hospital and Consultant Surveyor with the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation. Practicing in both the community and hospital sector, Vanessa has also held a variety of clinical and administrative positions including, Community Health Nurse, Health Promotion Coordinator, Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Clinical/Theoretical Instructor- Nurse Practitioner Program, and Program Manager.

Vanessa's most recent publication entitled: Identifying Risk: The limitations of incident reporting, was published in the Canadian Nurse special focus on Patient Safety edition in Spring 2007. Vanessa received the Rotary Club (Windsor Chapter) award in 2004 for outstanding vocational service to the community. She is a longstanding member of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario and the Nurse Practitioner Association of Ontario-Special Interest Group.