About Us

Lead Instructor - ACLS, PALS, PEARS, BLS, First Aid, Heart Saver, Nurses workshops

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Sunny Jose is the Founder and CEO of Beats and Breaths Academy Ltd., a visionary leader and proud Registered Nurse with over 17 years of diverse clinical experience across emergency, acute care, medical-surgical, and cardiology departments. His career spans rural and urban hospital settings in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia, where he has consistently demonstrated excellence in bedside nursing and healthcare education.

Sunny began his professional journey in Canada in 2009. His early years were spent serving rural communities in emergency and acute care, before transitioning to urban hospitals where he specialized in cardiology.

In 2016, Sunny expanded his impact by becoming a healthcare instructor, mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals. His passion for education and commitment to safe, competent practice led him to establish Beats and Breaths Academy Ltd., where he now focuses on supporting healthcare professionals through high-quality continuing education programs.

Sunny is deeply committed to empowering nurses and allied health professionals, celebrating their dedication to lifelong learning and excellence in patient care. His leadership blends clinical expertise with entrepreneurial insight, making him a respected voice in both healthcare and business communities.

 

"Empower skills and knowledge with Beats and Breaths Academy Ltd."​​

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General Manager

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Sheena Thomas is the Co-Founder and General Manager of Beats and Breaths Academy Ltd., where she brings a wealth of organizational insight and leadership expertise shaped by over a decade of experience as a Registered Nurse. Her clinical journey began in Saskatchewan and continues in Alberta, where she has consistently demonstrated excellence in patient care and healthcare team coordination.

As a healthcare professional with more than 10 years of hands-on experience, Sheena has worked across diverse clinical settings, developing a strong foundation in both bedside nursing and healthcare operations. Her leadership at Beats and Breaths Academy reflects her commitment to advancing healthcare education and supporting professionals in delivering safe, competent, and compassionate care.

Sheena’s dedication to quality, collaboration, and continuous improvement makes her a driving force behind the Academy’s mission to empower healthcare providers through innovative and accessible learning.

"Empower skills and knowledge with Beats and Breaths Academy Ltd."​​

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Experienced Instructor - ACLS, ACLS-EP, PALS, TNCC provider, Nurses Workshops

 

Kaitlyn Julas is a Registered Nurse certified in Adult Critical Care (CNCC, Canada). She specializes in Adult Critical Care and Emergency Nursing. Kaitlyn completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree through the University of Alberta and graduated with distinction. She went on to complete Advanced Studies in Critical Care Nursing through Mount Royal University. Her background includes rural and tertiary level emergency and critical care nursing. Kaitlyn currently works full time at a Level I Trauma Center in various critical care areas. She teaches ACLS/ACLS-EP, PALS & TNCC with Beats and Breaths Academy. In 2024, Kaitlyn became a member of the Emergency Nurses Association Faculty for Alberta. Kaitlyn is passionate about systemically improving the quality of healthcare delivery. She believes that by empowering her colleagues through continuing education, she can help to improve patient care and outcomes. At Beats and Breaths Academy she is well known for her ability to create a safe and fun learning environment while remaining focused on high quality course delivery.

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“LIFE’S MOST PERSISTENT AND URGENT QUESTION IS ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR OTHERS?’” -Martin Luther King Jr.​

Experienced Instructor - ACLS and Nurses Workshops

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Melissa Da Silva is a Registered Nurse who graduated from the University of Alberta and has over 20 years of Critical Care nursing experience in a Level 1 Trauma Center. She is deeply committed to providing quality and compassionate care to her patients and brings a wealth of knowledge into her teaching. She joined Beats and Breaths Academy Ltd. in 2020 and teaches ACLS and other workshops for healthcare professionals to be safe and competent in practice.  In addition to teaching at our facility, Melissa has taught nursing clinical for the University. She has been recognized for in-depth knowledge, expertise and achievements in areas including Quality Nursing Care, Clinical & Communication Skills, Team Collaboration, and Mentorship.

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Experienced Instructor - ACLS, ACLS-EP, PALS, BLS, TNCC Provider, ENPC, CTAS, Nurses workshops, ECG and ACLS prep. workshop, and “Stop The Bleed” Instructor

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Jason Pedersen is a Registered Nurse, Emergency, Critical Care and clinical nurse educator with 30+ years of clinical experience.

Jason has a passion for emergency, prehospital, and critical care which he had spent his broad nursing career pursuing. His experience ranges from remote rural to urban and tertiary settings. It also includes EMS and ground transport as well as helicopter rescue in a remote location in British Columbia. He is an instructor for many advanced resuscitation courses. He has worked as a Tertiary Emergency Department Clinical Nurse Educator where he is honed his adult and pediatric critical care clinical leadership and mentorship skills.

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He had transitioned from direct bedside roles to clinical nurse educator and assistant head nurse roles. These have allowed him to formalize his leadership skills while continuing direct clinical care. He had traveled extensively during his nursing career. These diverse work environments and teams gave him the opportunity to excel as a collaborative leader as well as excellent instructor.

 ACLS instructor

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Dr. Haponiuk's career highlights include being an EMS medical director and a flight physician with STARS air ambulance as well as years of clinical experience working in a busy, tertiary care Emergency Department. Over the course of her career, Dr. Haponiuk has been a didactic and clinical teacher for paramedics, medical students, and residents and has been honored with three teaching awards. Her extensive clinical experience allows her to bring many real-world cases and scenarios to her teaching which make her didactic and skills-based teaching relevant and engaging for students. She has been teaching ACLS since 2004 and is excited to be joining the Beats and Breaths Academy teaching faculty.

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Dr. Haponiuk began her teaching and lifesaving career as a lifeguard and swim instructor in her late teens and early 20's. After completing her Bachelor of Sciences degree at Simon Fraser University and medical school at the University of British Columbia, she moved to Edmonton in 2001 to pursue an Emergency Medicine residency. Since completing residency in 2006, she has remained in Edmonton working as an attending Emergency Physician. 

Experienced Instructor - ACLS, ACLS EP, PALS, BLS, NRP, ITLS

Willy Lauder is an Advanced Care Paramedic with 32 years of experience and 20+ years of teaching as an experienced ACLS, PALS, BLS, ITLS, and NRP instructor. Currently working as a community paramedic with AHS. He is very passionate in teaching and very happy to join a team of instructors at Beats and Breaths Academy Ltd. In his free time, he loves to play sports and rock climb. He is a scout leader with group of kids. He spends time playing guitar when out at his trailer for relaxation most summer.

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Instructor - Nursing Workshops - Clinical Documentation

CTAS Instructor

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​Shelley is a Registered Nurse with an extension background  in nursing inclusive of ER, acute care and managerial.  Over the course of Shelley's career, she has worked internationally (Florida) and in four provinces in Canada.   Shelley returned to Canada in 2013, first to BC and then in 2015, to Alberta. As a North Zone Educator, Shelley developed and taught  the Charge Nurse Workshop: Leaders in Action.  In addition to being a CTAS instructor, Shelley  has provided educational programs to several nurses while in her Clinical Educator role.  Over the past seven years, Shelley has investigated several cases of abuse (harm). A key component is documentation when conducting these investigations.  Currently, Shelley works casually in a small rural hospital in Northern Alberta.

ACLS and PALS Instructor

 

Natallie Wiedemann has been an ER nurse from remote Northern Canada to Urban Trauma 1 for the last 20 or so years, Currently practicing in a small suburban ER. She began teaching about 10 years ago and developed a love for the education side of nursing and have expanded her role from bedside nurse to casual CNE. Her focus is on providing quality care utilizing the most up to date information and best practices to ensure the highest quality of patient outcomes. She endeavours to create a safe and welcoming learning environment to allow everyone to learn together to fully understand the concepts presented

BLS Instructor

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Victor is a Heart and Stroke certified BLS instructor since 2019 and has been instructing with Beats and Breaths Academy since 2023. Professionally, Victor is a PCP - Primary Care Paramedic with over 13 years of experience working on an ambulance in various communities in Central Alberta. Victor is passionate about teaching CPR because he knows the difference it can make when someone receives early bystander CPR and defibrillation. Victor’s favourite part of teaching BLS is facilitating the team dynamics exercise. When not busy working, Victor enjoys cooking, traveling, exploring new cuisines, and eating authentic Japanese ramen (not the instant kind!).

ACLS Instructor

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Dr.Carly Rumley is a born and raised Edmontonian. She completed a BSc in Biological Sciences, a MSc in Medical Genetics, and her MD from the University of Alberta during which she fell in love with Emergency Medicine. She graduated from the U of A CCFP EM program in 2021. Her interests include EM ultrasound. Outside of the ED, she is a swimmer and runner. 

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BLS and First Aid Instructor

 

Beatriz Rubio completed the Bachelor of Science in Nursing After Degree program in 2020, graduating with distinction. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a specialization and a research certificate from the University of Alberta, which she received in 2018. Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Nursing degree at the University of Calgary, expected to be completed in August 2024.   Since 2020, Beatriz has been working in the cardiovascular surgery unit, bringing her expertise and dedication to patient care. In 2023, she joined Beats and Breaths Academy as a BLS instructor. She is known for her passion for teaching and her commitment to continuous education and professional growth. She strives to equip healthcare providers and the general public with essential life-saving skills such as CPR and first aid.   Beatriz is dedicated to enhancing healthcare delivery through education and empowerment. Her commitment to improving patient care and outcomes is reflected in her efforts to provide high-quality instruction and foster a culture of learning and excellence.

ACLS Instructor - Calgary, AB

 

Ibukunoluwa moved to Canada in 2019 after completing part of his general surgery residency in the United States. In February 2023, he joined the Pediatric Surgery team with Alberta Health Services as a Clinical Surgical Assistant where he loves keeping kids alive. He has a passion for critical patient care, cardiac physiology and neuroscience. Bringing teaching experiences from college and medical school, Ibukunoluwa brings a wealth of medical knowledge to the team. Fun fact about him - he started a home school in his neighborhood in Nigeria around the age of 12 and many students say it really helped them succeed later on in life. IBK - as we call him for short - looks forward to seeing you in the classroom where you will learn how to save lives!

BLS, ACLS, PALS and CTAS Instructor - Toronto, ON & Calgary, AB

 

Farah is a Registered Nurse with over 11 years of experience in Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care. Currently, Farah is the Clinical Nurse Educator at Unity Health Toronto's Emergency Department and Level One Trauma Centre. Her role involves utilizing evidence-based practices to guide clinical decision-making, optimizing policies and procedures, and delivering a comprehensive ED education curriculum to build competency in caring for critically ill and injured patients. As Co-Chair of the Quality Improvement Council, Farah collaborates with an interdisciplinary team to lead initiatives such as the CPR Coach, Hypothermia Pathways, and Blood Culture Collection projects. Current QI projects Farah is involved with includes evaluating the CPR Coach role, reviewing Hypothermia Protocols, and enhancing Blood Culture Collection practices. 

Farah holds instructor status with the Heart and Stroke Foundation for BLS, ACLS, and PALS and with the National Emergency Nurses Association (NENA) for Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) and is an Adjunct Lecturer (Appointment) with the University of Toronto. 

In her spare time, Farah loves enjoying new places in the city, travelling, and spending time with her cat, Binky. 

BLS Instructor - Edmonton, AB

 

​Alana Stout has been a Registered Nurse for over 10 years. She graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland with her Bachelor of Nursing degree then moved back to Edmonton to be closer to family. Since 2019 she has specialized in Adult Critical Care and has taught BLS with Beats and Breaths since 2022. Through her work she has seen first hand the difference high quality CPR and early defibrillation can make in patient outcomes. Outside of work Alana enjoys baking, knitting and traveling.

BLS, ACLS and PALS Instructor - Calgary, AB

 

Chelsea is a Registered Nurse with 15 years of diverse experience in critical care. She currently works at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in both the Pediatric and Neonatal ICU. Her background also includes time in Adult Critical Care and Rural Emergency, giving her a broad perspective on patient care across age groups and settings.

Chelsea brings her clinical expertise into the classroom as an instructor for BLS, ACLS, and PALS. She’s thrilled to be part of the Beats and Breaths Academy team, teaching at the Calgary location. Passionate about hands-on learning, Chelsea is known for running dynamic and realistic simulations that help healthcare professionals sharpen their skills and confidence.

A firm believer in the power of collaborative learning, she values the insights every participant brings to the table. Outside of work, Chelsea is a high-energy mom of three young kids who keep her constantly on the go. Her hobbies include playing volleyball, watching movies, and cleaning up after her kids (kidding!) 

 ACLS,  PALS and ITLS  Instructor - Edmonton, AB

 

Luke Flowers is an Advanced Care Paramedic with over 25 years of experience in emergency services. Luke obtained his ACP license in 2010 in Alberta and has since completed a BSc in Human Sciences from Athabasca University and an MSc in Healthcare Quality, Risk and Safety from Queen’s University. Luke’s practice has taken him across the length and breadth of the province as a wildland firefighter, paramedic firefighter, assistant fire chief and now with AHS as an Incident Response Paramedic and Acting Supervisor in the Edmonton Metro zone.

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Luke has been teaching for as long as he has been practicing as a means to giving back to his profession and community, and to sustain his passion for the science and art of paramedicine and emergency response. Luke has instructed for a variety of programs including NAIT ACP, and University of Alberta Interdisciplinary studies. 

Currently an ACLS, PALS and ITLS instructor Luke has a keen interest in crisis resource management, team dynamics and human factors and loves to develop these skills in high-fidelity simulation. 

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In his personal life Luke drags his spouse, kids and Aussie Shepherd on adventures in mountain biking, skiing and paddle sports and plays the occasional game of Dungeons and Dragons.

 BLS and PALS Instructor - Edmonton, AB

 

Anastasia Struzhko is an Advanced Care Paramedic with over five years of experience in emergency medical services. Prior to entering EMS, she worked as a lifeguard, where she first developed her passion for emergency response and helping others. She began her paramedic career in the busy metro setting and has since expanded her practice across multiple environments, working casually with several organizations. Primarily, Anastasia serves as an ACP with a fire service located just outside Edmonton, while also contributing her expertise to industrial clinics and preparing to begin work in aeromedical transport. A Dean’s List graduate of her Advanced Care Paramedicine program, she is dedicated to lifelong learning and plans to continue advancing her education in the coming year. Outside of work, Anastasia enjoys camping, mountain biking, skiing, and staying active in the gym.

 BLS and First Aid Instructor - Edmonton, AB

 

Kathy McCormick is a seasoned Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) with extensive experience in both ground ambulance operations and emergency department care in Edmonton. Since 2006, she has been a dedicated instructor in Basic Life Support (BLS), and has taught a wide range of courses, including Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Primary Care Paramedic (PCP), ITLS, PHTLS, AMLS, and EPC.

Her commitment to advancing paramedic education led her to serve as an examiner and later contribute to exam development and education program approval at the Alberta College of Paramedics. Kathy is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Integrated Studies at Athabasca University, with a focus on adult education—further deepening her expertise in instructional design and learner engagement.

Known for her passion for high-quality education and her supportive approach to teaching, Kathy continues to inspire healthcare professionals to deliver safe, competent care. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys cooking, playing the piano, and cultivating herbs—bringing creativity and mindfulness into her everyday routine.