S P R I N G 2 0 1 1
Faculty FOcuS
undergraduates experience community learning
PhD graduates making a difference worldwide
FacultyFocus_Spring2011.indd 1 6/1/11 3:38:15 PM
Dear alumni and FriendsAfter this long winter, I hope that you are enjoying a bit of warmer weather.
We here at the Faculty of Nursing have much to look forward to in the
coming months: warmer weather, the beginning of a new academic year,
and then a move to a new building (Edmonton Clinic Health Academy).
In this issue of Faculty Focus, we are highlighting the PhD program in
Nursing at the University of Alberta and the successes of our students
and graduates. Overall, between 2001 and 2007, the University of Alberta
produced 27% of the PhD graduates in Canada, and the impact is huge.
When I look across the country and indeed around the world, I see many
of our PhD graduates in significant leadership positions, such as Dr. Joy
Johnson, Dr. Raisa Gul, and Dr. Flo Myrick, all of whom are featured in
this issue, influential nurse scholars and leaders who graduated from the
University of Alberta. We currently have 97 doctoral students registered in
our program and continue to be the largest of the 15 doctoral programs in
nursing in Canada.
The Faculty of Nursing recently undertook a review and evaluation of
the PhD program, with the assistance of Science Metrix. Surveys and
interviews were conducted with faculty members, students, alumni, and
employers of the graduates. A bibliometric analysis was conducted of
research publications. Four comparable institutions (two in Canada and
two international) were identified and comparisons were made. Overall, the
findings indicated that the PhD program has numerous strengths including
a high research profile and a healthy reputation, effective management
by administration and support staff, a high number of research chairs,
and success at obtaining research funding. Some suggestions included
addressing heavy faculty workloads, lack of funds to support student
research, and questions regarding the benefits and challenges associated
with flexible delivery. A PhD Review Committee within the Faculty of
Nursing reviewed the recommendations and is making plans to ensure the
continuing strength of the program. We are proud of the influence of the
Faculty of Nursing PhD program on nursing education, research, health care
delivery and policy. We continue to strive for excellence in all that we do.
We appreciate your many contributions to our various programs. Your input
on how to strengthen any aspect of the Faculty of Nursing is also valued.
Thank you for your engagement and support!
Sincerely
Anita E. Molzahn, RN, PhD, FCAHS
Dean and Professor
MESSaGE FROM tHE DEaN
University of Alberta, Faculty of Nursing �
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thinking about genderalumna Joy Johnson leads the cIHR Institute of Gender and HealthWhen asked about being named
by the Vancouver Sun newspaper
as one of the 100 most influential
women in British Columbia, Joy
Johnson (MN 1988, PhD 1993)
responded, “My mom and dad were
really pleased!” She went on to say,
“But when I got the news that
I was on the list I kept thinking
that I wished I really did have
the influence.”
Johnson, a professor in the Faculty
of Nursing at the University
of British Columbia, is being
modest about the scope of her
influence. As scientific director of
the Canadian Institutes of Health
Research (CIHR) Institute of
Gender and Health (IGH), she has
considerable influence on health
research and policy in Canada.
IGH is one of the 13 institutes
that make up CIHR, and under
her leadership it awards more
than $8 million in grant funding
to Canadian researchers annually.
Leading an institute with a mandate
that encompasses all domains of
health research also puts Johnson
in a unique position to influence
policy. “IGH played a key role in the
federal government health portfolio
having a policy on gender and sex-
based analysis, which recognized
that all policy and research needs
to think about sex and gender
issues.” Additionally, she notes that
IGH was “successful in having
questions on the open operating
grant competitions forms asking
people if they are considering
sex and gender in their research.
These little things really do make
a difference.”
While the scientific
community may easily
comprehend the relationship
between gender and health, it
might not be as obvious to the
general public. But, she says, “as
soon as you start to give a few
examples the light bulb goes
on very quickly. They see their
children, the boys and girls they
raise, they see their partners, their
grandparents, and they understand
that one size doesn’t fit all and that
we need to think about these very
important differences.”
One of Johnson’s favourite
examples of health-related gender
differences is how men and women
differ in their interaction with the
health care system. “Men tend to
seek primary care less often than
women do,” she points out, “and
that’s probably not biologically
driven, it is based on what is
socially expected of men. And even
our institutions are set up in very
gendered ways. Doctor’s offices
tend to be very feminine spaces
that are probably not as welcoming
to men as to women.”
Johnson is clear to make a
distinction between sex and gender;
the former describes males and
females by biological features such
as hormones or body structure,
while the latter is socio-cultural,
identifying women and men by
the social roles and expectations
ascribed to them. There are
situations, however, where both
come into play, such as in Johnson’s
research on smoking. “I’ve done a
lot of work in the area of addictions
and tobacco use in particular, and
we know that men and women
smoke cigarettes for very different
reasons,” she says. “There’s a
biological component in terms of
their addiction and some reasons
why women might actually tend
to become addicted to nicotine
quicker than men, but there’s also
other social factors at play that
are gendered.”
The interest in gender issues dates
back to Johnson’s master’s research
at the University of Alberta,
looking at differences in men’s and
women’s experiences following
myocardial infarction. “I became
impressed with the really important
differences in men’s and women’s
health behaviours, how they engage
and what they are willing to do,
the barriers that they experience,”
she says.
� Faculty Focus | SPRING 2011
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She chose the University of Alberta
after extensive homework on the
choices of nursing graduate schools
in Canada. “I decided to go to the
University of Alberta because it was
clearly a research intensive faculty.
They had hosted an international
nursing research conference and
were really emerging with a strong
profile in research, and I was
interested in that. So I decided to
move from Vancouver to Edmonton
and start my master’s degree and
loved it.”
While in the master’s program,
Johnson got “the research
bug” and went directly into doctoral
studies as one of the cohort of
three ‘special case students’ piloting
the Faculty of Nursing’s new PhD
program. She fondly remembers
that “it was a very exciting time. It
was terrific because there was this
small group of us, and the program
was being developed under our
feet. I feel like I was at the right
place at the right time,” she says
of her time here. Pointing out
the influence of faculty members
such as Peggy Anne Field, Phyllis
Giovanetti, June Kikuchi, Jan Morse,
and Shirley Stinson, Johnson refers
to that time as one of the many
highlights of her illustrious career.
Johnson feels that PhD-prepared
nurses, whether in academic or
I originally came
to Edmonton in
1981 after having
completed a
BScN program
at the Université
de Montréal.
Two years later
I returned to Eastern Canada to
study at McGill University where
I obtained MSc(A) in Nursing.
Immediately prior to beginning
the PhD program I was a sessional
instructor in the Faculty of
Nursing at the University of
Alberta. The focus of my doctoral
dissertation was on the history of
the Edmonton General Hospital,
an institution founded by the Grey
Nuns of Montreal. My doctoral
supervisor was Dr. Janet Ross Kerr.
After completing my doctoral
studies, I remained at the University
of Alberta in a tenure track faculty
position. For a number of years,
I served as the Assistant Dean,
Undergraduate Programs and then
as Associate Dean, Academic
Planning and Undergraduate
Programs. While in these positions,
I played an instrumental role in
the development of the BScN After
Degree Program, and took the lead
in designing the BScN Bilingual
Program/Baccalauréatès sciences
infirmières. In a recent external
evaluation the Bilingual Program
has been described as innovative
model of nursing education that
creates a unique space in Canada,
where students learn in both
French and English.
My research has been focused
on nursing education and on
the history of nursing in Canada.
Currently, I am working on the
history of nursing education and
research at the University
of Alberta.
Through my research and teaching,
I have developed considerable
expertise in curriculum
development and evaluation. I
am regularly asked to evaluate
both undergraduate and graduate
programs across Canada, and am
currently Chair of the Accreditation
Bureau of the Canadian Association
of Schools of Nursing.
With co-authors Drs Rene Day and
Bev Williams, I am also about to
begin to work on the third edition
of the Canadian best seller Brunner
& Suddarth’s Textbook of Canadian
Medical Surgical Nursing.
Pauline Paul, PhD, RN Associate ProfessorFaculty of Nursing, University of Alberta
There were three students in the first special cohort of doctoral students at the Faculty of Nursing. Joy’s fellow There were three students in the first special cohort of doctoral students at the Faculty of Nursing. Joy’s fellow students in the program were Pauline Paul and Joan Bottorff. We asked them to reflect on their careers.students in the program were Pauline Paul and Joan Bottorff. We asked them to reflect on their careers.
University of Alberta, Faculty of Nursing �
FacultyFocus_Spring2011.indd 4 6/1/11 3:38:24 PM
I came to the University of Alberta
to complete a doctoral program in
nursing after working as a nurse
educator in Australia for six years,
confident that this faculty would be
one of the first in Canada to offer a
doctoral program. This confidence
was bolstered by my familiarity
with some of the outstanding work
of faculty and students, and my
knowledge of the dedicated efforts
that were underway by members of
the faculty to launch this program.
During the two years that I
waited for the program to start, I
completed the Master of Nursing
program, and began to work with
Dr. Jan Morse as a research assistant.
These two years reinforced my
commitment to doctoral education
in nursing and began a research
training experience that I was able
to continue throughout my doctoral
program. Working out of Jan
Morse’s research lab provided an
incredibly rich training opportunity
and, along with her supervision
of my dissertation research, was
instrumental in launching my own
research program.
Being part of the first group of
doctoral students in nursing at
the University of Alberta, faculty
members took a special interest in
our progress and supported our
learning in so many ways. Today
looking back on this, I realize how
very lucky I was to have been in
the right place at the right time.
After finishing my PhD in 1992, I
took up a faculty position in the
School of Nursing at the University
of British Columbia. In the next
few years, I was joined by two
other graduates of the doctoral
program, Dr. Joy Johnson and Dr.
Pamela
Ratner.
Sharing
similar
research interests, we supported
each other in establishing research
programs. We co-lead the Nursing
and Health Behaviour Research
Unit in the UBC School of Nursing,
and NEXUS, an interdisciplinary
research team interested in the
social context of health behaviour.
I am now at UBC’s Okanagan
campus and lead the Institute
for Healthy Living and Chronic
Disease Prevention to support
the development of health
research on this new campus.
I am often reminded of experiences
during my PhD as I try to create
opportunities for research training
for students and help others
establish research programs.
Joan L. Bottorff, PhD, RN, FCAHS Professor, School of Nursing
Faculty of Health and Social Development, UBC’s Okanagan CampusDirector, Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention
UBC Distinguished University Scholar
clinical settings, have a “unique
contribution to make in terms of
knowledge development. A great
advantage for us is that we have
one foot in the social sciences
world and one foot in the biological
world, and if you can go across
these two spheres and have a
basic working knowledge of
both of them, I think that you
are in a very good position to
provide leadership.”
And, she says, the time is
right for nurses to step up
to that leadership position: “I
think that we have to dream
about where we want to go
and what contributions we
want to make and to be bold
about that and put ourselves
out there.”
Dr. Joy Johnson with colleagues in China.
There were three students in the first special cohort of doctoral students at the Faculty of Nursing. Joy’s fellow students in the program were Pauline Paul and Joan Bottorff. We asked them to reflect on their careers.
� Faculty Focus | SPRING 2011
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Publication Mail agreeMent nuMber 40065232 return undeliverable canadian addresses to:Faculty oF nursing, 3rd Floor, clinical sciences buildinguniversity oF alberta, edMonton, alberta, canada t6g 2g3
It is a testament to the Faculty of Nursing’s commitment to excellence in nursing education that Florence Myrick is the current Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning.Myrick is widely recognized as
one of the stellar researchers and
teachers in nursing education, as
evidenced by her having been
named the inaugural Pat Griffin
Nursing Education Research
Scholar by the Canadian Association
of Schools of Nursing (CASN)
this year.
Myrick is a specialist in the
area of preceptorship, and
states “Over the years, I have been
heavily involved in clinical teaching,
and I know how important it is to
teach well in the clinical setting,
not just in the classroom and the
laboratory settings. They are all
equally important.”
To that avail, Myrick has developed
a number of educational programs
for the RNs who precept our
fourth-year students.
Over the past 7
years, a series of on-
site preceptorship
conferences have
been attended by
more than 1300 Registered
Nurses who provide one-on-one
clinical teaching with a student.
“We address topics such as the
intergenerational workplace setting,
teaching and learning styles,
giving and receiving feedback, and
strategies that are most effective for
different kinds of learners,”
she explains. “We also provide a
session on cultural competence
and safety. And, naturally, there is
going to be conflict when dealing
with people, so we also provide
sessions on resolving what we call
‘learning challenges’.”
The material from these
conferences, derived from research
evidence, has been adapted
for flexible delivery, allowing
preceptors to take the program
online over 13 weeks and,
according to Myrick, some even
opt to engage in both forms of
preparation. This online program
has proven to be so popular that
Health Canada has requested
permission to use it. “We’ve
recently made it accessible to them
in the province of Alberta,” Myrick
says, “Subsequently they have asked
for it to be made accessible to their
nurses nationally. We’re really
proud of that.”
Myrick is a pioneer of
preceptorship research.
“When I started,” she says, “there
had been three studies conducted
on preceptorship and none were
on precepting students. In my
first study, I examined the clinical
competence of students who were
being precepted when compared
with students who were being
taught in the traditional instructor
model of clinical setting.”
Myrick thinks that a positive
preceptorship experience can be
critical to shaping the student into
a good nurse. “It all begins with
that one educator who motivates
you,” she says. “There is a great
advertisement I’ve seen a couple
of times recently on television that
states ‘Behind every nurse, there
is a nurse educator’, and every
one of us has someone who stands
out for us.” For the educator, she
thinks, “that is a huge responsibility
and privilege.”
a life-long passion for teaching and learningDr. Florence Myrick honoured for her commitment to nursing education
University of Alberta, Faculty of Nursing �
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Those inspiring people can
emerge at various times
in one’s education; Myrick met
one during her doctoral studies
at the University of Alberta. “I
worked with Dr. Olive Yonge in
my doctoral program. She’s a
phenomenal teacher, role model
and mentor and she just allowed
me to fly rather than hold me
back.” Subsequently, the two have
been research collaborators over
the years, conducting research
that has culminated in numerous
articles, scholarly presentations,
international symposia, and
a preceptorship book that is
nationally and internationally
renowned and that is provided to
all conference attendees
Myrick began her nursing career
in Newfoundland, and worked
throughout Canada in various
practice environments, as well as
teaching. Eventually, she pursued
a Masters degree at the University
of Western Ontario, focusing
on nursing education, to “gain
knowledge about teaching, so I
wouldn’t be flying by the seat of
my pants.” Following a decade on
faculty at Dalhousie University,
she decided it was time to return
to school again – this time for a
PhD. At the time, there was only
one Canadian nursing faculty with
a doctoral program. Many people
in the same situation tended to
enrol in other programs, such
as sociology or education, but,
Myrick says, “I wanted to stay in
nursing. I really had a very strong
commitment to nursing education.”
Citing its reputation as a pioneer in
doctoral-level nursing education in
Canada, Myrick came to Edmonton
“to study with the best.”
After completing her PhD,
Myrick worked at the
University of Calgary then returned
to Edmonton and a faculty position
at the University of Alberta. In
2009, she was appointed Associate
Dean, Teaching and Learning, a role
perfectly suited to her expertise
and passion for education. Among
her duties is leading the Teaching
and Learning Office. “It is primarily
a professional support role, to
support faculty and tutors, all
the instructors, with regard to
anything related to teaching
and learning,” she explains. “We
engage in monthly Teaching
and Learning Moments, lunch-
time discussions on topics that
are critical to teaching. And we
launched the Teachers’ Café this
year, which we hold on Fridays.
It’s an informal get-together of
faculty, bring your lunch and
come to discuss teaching and
learning. The Café has proven to
be quite successful.”
Myrick has obviously thought a
lot about teaching and learning.
Summing up her philosophy
of teaching, she says “It is a
presupposition that you bring
your expertise, otherwise why
would you be in that role? But
students want authenticity, and
that you are truly there for their
best interests, to set them up for
success. As for what it takes to
be a good teacher, I think it is
described best by the educational
scholar Stephen Brookfield, who
states teachers have to learn that
the sincerity of their intentions
does not guarantee the purity of
their practice. I keep that thought
uppermost at all times. It keeps me
reflective and honest as a teacher
and indeed as a human being.”
Citing its reputation as a pioneer in doctoral-level Citing its reputation as a pioneer in doctoral-level
nursing education in Canada, Myrick came to nursing education in Canada, Myrick came to
Edmonton “to study with the best.”Edmonton “to study with the best.”
Flo Myrick enjoying a moment with her mentor and colleague, Olive Yonge.� � Faculty Focus || SPRING 2011
FacultyFocus_Spring2011.indd 7 6/1/11 3:38:43 PM
The BSCS is a non-profit social
service agency just north
of Edmonton’s downtown that
provides a variety of services to
community members who face
social and economic barriers. The
agency has an open-door policy
recognizing that every person
deserves respect and dignity
and is entitled to basic human
needs; there is high value placed
on the strengths and abilities of
community members.
The community garden idea has
been floating around the agency
for some time according to Geoff
Villbrun, the former volunteer
coordinator, but staff is so busy
with day-to-day programming and
client services there is little time
to devote to additional projects.
Here was a perfect service learning
opportunity where the students
could take an idea and help make it
a reality. In addition, the placement
provided a rich learning experience
where students could interact
with the community members and
see first-hand the broader societal
impacts on people’s health. For
many, this experience would be
eye-opening, as the life situations
of members of the Boyle Street
community would be unfamiliar
to the students. They would meet
and interact with people who
were homeless or struggling with
addictions, and as a result would be
forced to confront their own biases
and perceptions of people living on
the streets.
Being placed at Boyle Street for
clinical was such an amazing
experience. Being able to work out
of my comfort zone and with so
many different people taught me
many things and is something that
will always affect my practice as
a nurse, and I am so thankful for
that. —Ashley Benoit
Community-based projects are time
consuming and require a lot of
work, which was a concern given
the already heavy workload of
the students. I soon found out my
concerns were unfounded as the
students embraced the idea with an
infectious enthusiasm that buoyed
the project during the highs and
lows. Each week, students facilitated
a community garden meeting and
worked hard to generate interest
among community members, which
proved challenging during the
winter months.
The students approached several
local businesses for donations
and were successful in securing
much-needed materials that would
ensure the success of the project.
They participated in early planting
and building of garden boxes, and
also organized a garden naming
contest. Over time, students began
to realize how much skill and
From the Ground upBy Melanie Meardi, Faculty lecturer
this past winter, I was fortunate to supervise two groups of 1st year
nursing students at the Boyle Street community Services (BScS). they were
completing their first clinical rotation in a community setting where they
participated in a community practice project that saw them working together
with community members to plan BScS’s first ever community garden.
provided a rich learning experience
to realize how much skill and
University of Alberta, Faculty of Nursing �
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knowledge community members
have; one man, for example, spent
his youth working in his parent’s
greenhouses and had a wealth of
horticultural knowledge. All of this
collaborative work served to break
down stereotypes of poverty and
homelessness, which was one of
the goals of the clinical experience.
Working with the community
members at Boyle Street
Community Services on the
community garden was an eye
opening experience. To see all
the community members come
together with a common goal and
a few take on quite a leadership
role taught me so much about how
these people are regular people
with a passion just like you and I.
—Amy Neubauer
If the students became caught
up in the tangible aspects of the
garden, I would gently remind them
to focus on the most important
aspect of the garden, which was
the process and not necessarily the
actual yield. Through the planning
stages, students learned the value
of working with community groups
and how it was important for them
as nurses to take a step back and
let group members make decisions.
Through personal reflection and
reviewing the literature, students
learned how community gardens
positively impact health by
increasing physical activity and
access to nutritional foods, as
well as strengthening community
cohesion. The students recognized
how the planning process
helped increase individual and
community capacity through
fostering ownership over a project
community members have a vested
interest in. This opportunity also
gave the students a chance to
deepen their understanding of
first-year theoretical concepts,
such as health promotion strategies
and the social determinants of
health, where they could make
a tangible connection between
theory and reality.
In working with the development
of the community garden, I have
learned that it is quite possible
to make a difference. When you
are first confronted with the idea
of adding to a community, it is
very overwhelming. However,
collaborating with the many
resources we reached out to
helped to minimize the feeling.
As a student nurse, I feel I have
already positively impacted lives
& promoted health. Now that’s
what I call a successful first year.
—Amy Sutherland
On May 27, 2011, the Boyle
Street Community Services
garden was planted with the help
of returning nursing students,
community members and BSCS
staff. There was a celebration of
planting to acknowledge all of
the people who helped make
the garden a reality. The garden
is named From the Ground Up,
so appropriate considering the
grassroots nature of how it
came to be.
positively impact health by
� Faculty Focus | SPRING 2011
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In the Faculty of Nursing, students
are taught the importance of
connecting with the community,
and nursing professor Vera Caine
has come up with a way for
students to not only learn about
working in the community, but also
to actually be a part of it.
The idea came about after Caine
visited a body mapping art display
hosted by HIV Edmonton. Caine,
whose research interests include
working with Aboriginal women
with HIV, was immediately struck
by the display. Her immediate
reaction was that her students
simply had to engage with the
artists and body maps, after a
conversation with HIV Edmonton
community educator Lynn
Sutankayo, the project was born.
“It gives the students an
understanding of who they are in
relation to those living with HIV,”
said Caine. “The whole course is
around community-health nursing
and living in the community, so
this project helps that process,
particularly in teaching about a
highly stigmatized disease.”
The partnership
between the faculty
and HIV Edmonton
offers first-year
nursing students
a truly hands-
on learning
experience
through body
mapping, Caine
says. Students
participate in the
half-day session as
part of their clinical
hours in Nursing 191.
HIV Edmonton uses
body mapping, which is a creative
approach to inquiring into life
experiences through art. It is a
treatment information and support
tool, a process of self-discovery and
a means of building community.
Sutankayo leads the sessions for the
students in collaboration with HIV
Edmonton community members.
The process begins with the
students drawing an outline of
the shadow that represents
the support in their
lives. Then the body
mapping artist has
their body traced by
a peer, resulting in a
body outline and a
shadow.
Students then write
the names of the people in
their support network within
the shadow, which represents their
family, friends, medical professionals
who are important to them.
Sutankayo then asks the students to
draw two symbols within the body
map: one represents the journey
between the faculty
hours in Nursing 191.
students drawing an outline of
the shadow that represents
the support in their
lives. Then the body
mapping artist has
their body traced by
Students then write
the names of the people in
their support network within
Putting HIV knowledge on the map By Sandra Pysklywyc
This article previously appeared in the University of Alberta ExpressNews.University of Alberta, Faculty of Nursing 10
FacultyFocus_Spring2011.indd 10 6/1/11 3:39:22 PM
they’ve taken to that point; the
second, represents what indentifies
them and where they gain their
power from.
Throughout the process
community members living
with HIV will also share their
personal experience and will work
with students to understand their
personal journeys.
The finished product is a full-size
body map that is a descriptive and
personal work of art.
As teaching tool, Caine sees the
value in having the students place
themselves in the role where
they disclose who they are. “The
students are asked some very
personal questions and are asked
to represent themselves on paper,”
said Caine. “It’s a role reversal—as
health-care providers, we are
typically the askers of the questions
and in this situation the questions
are being asked of us as well.”
Caine says this is the first time
this project has taken place at the
University of Alberta and she hopes
to share this teaching with others.
Feedback from both the students
and the participating community
members has been very positive.
“It’s been a healing experience
to be able to give back to the
community,” said Sutankayo. “Our
members seem to feel hopeful
when they hear about the future
aspirations of the students and
what the experience means to
them.”
For the students, it’s truly eye
opening, Caine says. ”The whole
experience really gives them an
opportunity to think about health
care from another perspective,
and I hope this stays with them
throughout their careers.”
11 Faculty Focus | SPRING 2011
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Dilmi aluwihare-Samaranayake Supervisor: Dr. Greta CummingsI chose the University of Alberta Faculty of Nursing’s PhD program because of its solid reputation in the nursing education community and I wanted to experience learning in a high quality faculty. I am fortunate that the program at the University of Alberta enables me to study from Sri Lanka, which makes it possible for me to juggle learning with family life. I would sum up my impressions of the program so far as being an intellectually challenging and enjoyable learning experience. It has given me the freedom to explore and to find my way, and has driven me to outdo myself. When I came into the program I felt I knew exactly what I wanted to get out of the program and what my research was going to be about. However, going through the course work and meeting with my committee have taught me to be more open to new learning and to thinking out of the box. In addition, I have learned that I am not required to set my research path in stone. Rather, I must be open to reading and learning because if I have a general idea as to what I am interested in then the research path will emerge. My reading has led me to a keen interest in nurse migration, policy, decision-making, and leadership. I hope to develop a framework for shared decision and action at the macro level to improve participation and collaboration of nurses in decision-making and the evidence-based management of internal and external nurse migration. I anticipate taking this further to the development of a policy framework to guide nurse migration and participating in collaborative research at national and international level.
DOctORal StuDENt PROFIlES
Geoffrey M. Maina Supervisors: Dr. Judy Mill and Dr. Vera Caine
I chose the University of Alberta Faculty of Nursing doctoral program because of the shared
research interest with my supervisors, Dr. Judy Mill and Dr. Vera Caine, its immense reputation as a
pioneering doctoral program in Canada, and its international reputation. Coming to the University,
I have been further impressed by the high level and quality of nursing scholarship within the
Faculty as demonstrated by the research days organised, the number of research chairs, research
outputs, as well as authoring of books. I also have been greatly impressed by the level of support
that graduate students are accorded by the supervisors and the faculty at large in order to succeed.
I am working for a CIHR-funded research project entitled “A Clinical Mentorship for Canadian Nurses in AIDS Care.”
This project is inspiring me to develop my own research using narrative inquiry to document the lived experiences of
people with HIV. My thesis is tentatively called “Negotiating Identities, Changing Stories: A Narrative Inquiry Lived
Experience of People with HIV in Canada.”
My goal is that by understanding lived experiences of people with HIV, therapeutic relationships between them and
health care providers can be greatly enhanced, which can translate into quality patient care and patient support. I am
using this research as a foundation of my own future program of research in HIV.
I worked as a lecturer at Moi University, Kenya before coming to Canada. I intend to use my PhD to enhance my
research skills and academic work both locally and internationally. I hope to do postdoctoral work in the area of HIV
and AIDS as well. I also intend to network with researchers and scholars to foster collaborative exchange of ideas,
expertise, and research in HIV.
Dilmi
I would sum up my impressions of the program so far as being an intellectually challenging and enjoyable learning experience. It has given me the freedom to explore and to find my way, and has driven me to outdo myself. When I came into the program I felt I knew exactly what I wanted to get out of the program and what my research was going to be about. However, going through the course work and meeting with my committee have taught me to be more open to new learning and to thinking out of the box. In addition, I have learned that I am not required to set my research path in stone. Rather, I must be open to reading and learning because if I have a general idea as to what I am interested in then the research path will emerge. My reading has led me to a keen interest in nurse migration, policy, decision-making, and leadership. I hope to develop a framework for shared decision and action at the macro level to improve participation and collaboration of nurses in decision-making and the evidence-based management of internal and external nurse migration. I anticipate taking this further to the
Hannah O’Rourke Co-Supervisors: Dr. Kimberly Fraser and Dr. Wendy Duggleby
The research training and mentorship that I received as an
undergraduate honors nursing student at the University of
Alberta set the stage for my decision to pursue a master’s
degree. After one year in the Master of Nursing program, I
transferred into the doctoral program in September, 2011.
The many faculty members within the Faculty of Nursing
who encouraged me to pursue doctoral studies, and the strategic
advise that they offered, was a signal that this was an environment rich in both
support and opportunity.
My area of research interest is in knowledge translation as a mechanism to
improve well-being for older adults with dementia, and there are a number of
Faculty of Nursing researchers with expertise and research programs in these
areas. Within the Faculty of Nursing, I knew that I would have the opportunity to
apply for competitive, national-level funding and that my supervisors would be
able to provide a supportive environment where I could focus on advancing my
research skills.
My doctoral research focuses on quality indicators used in long-term care settings
across Canada. These quality indicators represent the proportion of residents
within a long-term care unit or facility that experienced a particular problem, such
as pain, falls, or depression, during the last three months. There are 25 indicators
and most facilities can focus on improving just one or two indicator areas per
year. In my research, I will observe residents with dementia to determine which
quality indicator areas contribute most consistently and intensely to resident well-
being. These indicator areas may be seen as higher priority, providing guidance for
clinicians to use the indicators to improve quality of resident care.
My goal is to become an established researcher who remains ultimately responsive
to the needs of persons with dementia. The honor of receiving a Vanier Canada
Graduate Scholarship and the resources available to me as a doctoral student
within the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta have made this goal all
the more attainable.
The research training and mentorship that I received as an
undergraduate honors nursing student at the University of
Alberta set the stage for my decision to pursue a master’s
degree. After one year in the Master of Nursing program, I
who encouraged me to pursue doctoral studies, and the strategic
I chose the University of Alberta Faculty of Nursing doctoral program because of the shared
research interest with my supervisors, Dr. Judy Mill and Dr. Vera Caine, its immense reputation as a
pioneering doctoral program in Canada, and its international reputation. Coming to the University,
I have been further impressed by the high level and quality of nursing scholarship within the
that graduate students are accorded by the supervisors and the faculty at large in order to succeed.
University of Alberta, Faculty of Nursing 1�
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Dilmi aluwihare-Samaranayake Supervisor: Dr. Greta CummingsI chose the University of Alberta Faculty of Nursing’s PhD program because of its solid reputation in the nursing education community and I wanted to experience learning in a high quality faculty. I am fortunate that the program at the University of Alberta enables me to study from Sri Lanka, which makes it possible for me to juggle learning with family life. I would sum up my impressions of the program so far as being an intellectually challenging and enjoyable learning experience. It has given me the freedom to explore and to find my way, and has driven me to outdo myself. When I came into the program I felt I knew exactly what I wanted to get out of the program and what my research was going to be about. However, going through the course work and meeting with my committee have taught me to be more open to new learning and to thinking out of the box. In addition, I have learned that I am not required to set my research path in stone. Rather, I must be open to reading and learning because if I have a general idea as to what I am interested in then the research path will emerge. My reading has led me to a keen interest in nurse migration, policy, decision-making, and leadership. I hope to develop a framework for shared decision and action at the macro level to improve participation and collaboration of nurses in decision-making and the evidence-based management of internal and external nurse migration. I anticipate taking this further to the development of a policy framework to guide nurse migration and participating in collaborative research at national and international level.
As the first PhD-prepared nurse
from the Pakistani province
of Khyber Pakthtoohkhawa, Dr.
Raisa Gul (PhD 2007) was recently
awarded a medal
by the Provincial
Nurses Association
Khyber
Pakthtoonkhawa
(KPK) in
recognition of
her exemplary
academic and
professional
achievements as
a nurse scholar
in the Province
of KPK and her
“services, loyalty,
dedication and commitment
to the profession of nursing
in Pakistan.”
Gul is an associate professor at Aga
Khan University School of Nursing
(AKU-SON) in Karachi, Pakistan,
where she has worked since
1999. Following her initial nursing
education at Lady Reading Hospital,
Peshawar in KPK, she completed
a BScN at McMaster University in
Hamilton in 1990. After completing
her master’s degree in Australia,
she was working as an educator
at Aga Khan when she decided to
continue on with doctoral studies
at the University of Alberta.
Nursing education is very much in
transition in Pakistan. Gul thinks
that “for effective nursing education
and evidenced based practice in
nursing, we need
a critical mass of
nurses with doctoral
and postdoctoral
preparation.” This
level of education isn’t
yet available there
however. The first
baccalaureate nursing
degree was initiated
offered in 1988 and,
according to Gul, “the
first MScN program
in Pakistan was
established in
2001 at AKU-
SON, and it
remained the
only graduate
program.”
Gul is doing her part in advancing
nursing education in Pakistan
through her teaching and
research. Her doctoral research,
co-supervised by Joanne Olson
and Pauline Paul and published as
Competence of Graduates of the
Four-Year BScN Programme at Aga
Khan University: Experiences and
Perceptions, involved evaluating
the AKU-SON baccalaureate
program. Since then, she has
continued to publish 2 or 3 articles
annually, many of them focusing
on issues in nursing education in
Pakistan. She is currently leading
a multidisciplinary team of
researchers on critical thinking in
nursing education at 16 institutions
in Pakistan.
Gul credits much of her success to
her training in Alberta. “Although
I have had some exposure to
conducting research before my
doctoral studies, I had never
published. I began to publish
during my studies at the University
of Alberta,” she says. “My doctoral
education has enabled me to
conduct research independently.”
But it isn’t just the research
component that she says
was enhanced by her Alberta
experience. Already an educator
when she came here, Gul feels
that her “confidence in teaching
at the graduate level was certainly
enhanced with doctoral education.”
Through teaching courses in
curriculum development, research,
and nursing theory, as well as
supervising numerous graduate
students working in the field
of nursing education, Gul is
committed to bettering nursing
education and, ultimately, practice
in Pakistan.
an education system in transitionDr. Raisa Gul is making an impact on nursing education in Pakistan
first MScN program
in Pakistan was
established in
only graduate
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aluMNI
Victoria & area University of Alberta Alumni Brunch, on Saturday, April 16th.
Back Row L to R: Sheila MacDougall (Nu [Dip] 1947), Mary Van Alstine (Nu [Dip] 1948, BScn 1949)
Anita Molzahn, Dean, Faculty of Nursing, Angeline Joss (Nu [Dip] 1958, BScN 1959), Alma Keenan,
(Nu [Dip] 1948), Marion Barlow (BScN 1988), Mildred Chisholm (Nu [Dip] 1952, BScN 1953), Carol
Stewart (Nu [Dip] 1967, BScN 1989), Nikki MacKenzie (Nu [Dip] 1948).
Front Row L to R: Diane Patterson (Nu [Dip] 1958, BScN 1959), Beverley Holmes (Nu [Dip] 1945),
Dorothy Shortreed (Nu [Dip] 1945).
On May 1, a group of Vancouver area University of Alberta Hospital and University of
Alberta alumni held a lunch a the Arbutus Club. Dr. Alex Clark discussed inventions and
health measures from Scotland and directly compared findings with Canadian outcomes.
L to R: Grace Evans (Nu [Dip] 1954), Marjorie Ewing (Nu [Dip] 1946), Patricia Long (Nu
[Dip] 1958), Ruth Lewis (Nu [Dip] 1948), Lorna Emslie (Nu [Dip] 1948), Professor Alex
Clark, Mable Bloemhof (Nu [Dip] 1951), Irene Doyle (Nu [Dip] 1948).
University of Alberta, Faculty of Nursing 1�
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It is with great sadness that we report the death of Jocelyn Dye-Grech, a student in our PhD program. Jocelyn passed away unexpectedly on March 6, 2011. She was within weeks of defending her doctoral dissertation, which focused on In Vitro Fertilization and Selective Abortion:
Ethics, Moral Distress and Family Adaptation. Her degree was awarded posthumously at a special ceremony on June 1, 2011. Jocelyn was a committed neonatal nurse, a favourite and much-loved teacher, and a dedicated scholar. We will miss her.
Sister Helen Levasseur BSc in Nursing, 1953
March 29, 2011
Mrs Mary Forster Diploma in Nursing, 1960
BSc in Nursing, 1961February 5, 2011
Mrs Anita Oluk Diploma in Nursing, 1969
BSc in Nursing, 1972April 12, 2011
Mrs Lorna Jay (nee Chisholm)Diploma in Nursing, 1931
February 5, 2011
Ms Avis Gallagher Diploma in Nursing, 1952
April 30, 2011
Mrs Raymonde Milner (nee Penrowley)Diploma in Nursing, 1945
April 1, 2011
Mrs June Chen (nee Smith)Diploma in Nursing, 1968
November 3, 2010
Mrs Elizabeth Francis (nee Wyntjes)BSc in Nursing, 1982
April 19, 2011
Ms M H Joan McNeice Diploma in Nursing, 1966
BSc in Nursing, 1969April 27, 2011
Mrs Hazel Peterson Diploma in Nursing, 1952
February 11, 2011
Mrs Isabelle English (nee Reesor)Diploma in Nursing, 1941
BSc in Nursing, 1942January 30, 2011
Mrs Gladys Kramer (nee Fiddes)BSc in Nursing, 1983
April 3, 2011
Mrs Stella Chandler (nee Wallace)Diploma in Nursing, 1945
July 7, 2010
Mrs Dorothy Otto (nee Steedman)Diploma in Nursing, 1943
BSc in Nursing, 1944July 24, 2010
Mrs Lou-Anne Dallison (nee Carscadden)
Diploma in Nursing, 1960November 12, 2010
Ms Cher Winter BSc in Nursing, 2001
February 28, 2011
Ms Margery A. Fenske Diploma in Nursing, 1982
March 28, 2011
If you are interested in setting up a memorial fund, please contact Jessica Twidale, Director of Development and Public Relations, at (780) 492-5804.
The Faculty of Nursing invites all alumni to attend the Nursing Alumni Lunch and reminisce with
classmates, connect with our faculty and make new friends. Come join us as we celebrate a nursing
program that goes back to 1918 and holds such distinctions as having the first graduate program in nursing in Alberta (1975) and the first nursing PhD program in Canada (1991). We look forward to
seeing all of you at the brunch.
Date: Saturday,Date: Saturday,SeptemberSeptember24,24,20112011Location: PetroleumLocation: PetroleumClub,Club,1111011110108108Street,Street,EdmontonEdmontonABAB
Time: 10:00Time: 10:00amam––1:001:00pmpmRegistrationRegistrationisisatat10:0010:00amamProgramProgramatat11:0011:00amamLunchLunchservedservedatat11:4511:45am.am.
Cost: $35/personCost: $35/person
To register go to www.ualberta.ca/alumni/weekend.You will be able register on-line or print off a form that can be mailed or faxed to Alumni Affairs. For assistance with registration or for more information please contact Fiona Wilson at 780.492.9 71 1or email [email protected]
Reunion Weekend Reunion Weekend Nursing Alumni Nursing Alumni
Brunch Brunch
In Memoriam
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I would like to make a donation to support a:
❑ Bursary ❑ Scholarship
❑ Nursing Research Chair in Aging and Quality of Life
❑ Nursing Chair in Public Health Research ❑ Other.
❑ I would like information on how to leave a legacy gift to the FON.
❑ I have made provision for the FON in my estate plan (will, trust, etc.).
❑ I would like to be contacted about making a donation.
I want to show my support of the FON now with a total gift/pledge of
$___________________ .
If you wish to send your donation by cheque, make your cheque payable to the University of Alberta.
❑ VISA ❑ MasterCard
Card No _______/________/_______ Expiry ___/___
Date _____________ Signature__________________
Make your gift online supporting the Faculty of Nursing at www.giving.ualberta.ca.
You will receive your electronic charitable receipt the same day.
40065232
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:
Faculty of Nursing 3rd Floor, Clinical Sciences Building University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6G 2G3
Ph: (780) 492-9171 Fax: (780) 492-2008 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.nursing.ualberta.ca
03720
Name _______________________________________________________
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Address _____________________________________________________
_____________________________ Province __________ PC __________
Faculty Focus Published by Faculty of Nursing University of Alberta 2–143 Clinical Sciences Building Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3 Website: www.nursing.ualberta.ca
Writers: Dan Given, Sandra Pysklywyc, Melanie Meardi
Photographs by/courtesy of Michael Holly, Sandra Pysklywyc, Melanie Meardi, Raisa Gul, Joy Johnson, Jessica Twidale, Richard Siemens, Dilmi Aluwihare Samaranayake, Joan Bottorf, Hannah O’Rourke, Dan Given
With this issue, I am departing from the Faculty of Nursing to move with my family to Australia. Over the past 7 years and 16 issues of Faculty Focus, I have enjoyed telling your stories. Many of you have contacted me, commenting on things you have read and photos you have seen in the magazine, and that feedback has meant a lot to me. I have also appreciated meeting many alumni at various events.
The Faculty of Nursing is in the process of hiring a new editor for Faculty Focus, who will be producing the next issue. In the interim, if you have any comments or feedback or story suggestions, please contact Jessica Twidale.
Best wishes,
Dan Given
For more information about donating to the Faculty of Nursing, contact Jessica Twidale, Director of Development and Public Relations, at [email protected] or 780 492 5804.
Faculty Focus | SPRING 2011
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