ualberta | nursing
DESCRIPTION
Fall 2012 issue of the University of Alberta Faculty of Nursing alumni magazineTRANSCRIPT
FA L L 2 0 1 2
uAlberta | nursingA L U M N I M A G A Z I N E
Exploring the art of nursing
Dear friends and colleaguesI have enjoyed meeting many of you over the last few months. During Alumni Weekend, we were thrilled to host open houses and class reunions. For the first time, we had a separate MN/PhD alumni open house, and we hope to hold this event on an annual basis and develop a new tradition. This was also an opportunity to showcase our new building, the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, as well as to visit and connect with many nursing colleagues.
The Fall term has been unusually busy for us. We admitted a record 305 new students to the 4 year Collaborative Nursing Program. This number is higher than our target of 196 students because more students exceeded the established cut-off point, identified by historical trends. In addition, we admitted 123 first year After Degree students and 21 Bilingual students. Obviously, the trend in applications and enrolments is changing, and we are not sure if this is because of the new building, or attractiveness of the nursing profession. In any case, graduates from our program are in high demand at the present time, and we are working hard to ensure that our new students have a great learning experience.
One of the strategic goals of both the University of Alberta and the Faculty of Nursing is to ensure that students have an outstanding experience. To help guide future planning, we are reviewing our undergraduate programs and seeking input from students, faculty, employers, and others. We are starting with surveys and focus groups with students and look forward to hearing from many people to see how we can continue to enhance the quality of our programs. More and more students are taking advantage of international experiences, and undergraduate research experiences. We are seeking to increase opportunities for students to learn more about rural nursing and Aboriginal communities. The rich learning environment that exists at the University of Alberta will continue to evolve and will be strengthened with the support of everyone involved.
Many of you have likely heard the Government of Alberta announcements regarding Family Care Clinics. In response to the need for Nurse Practitioners for these clinics, we are re-opening the Family All Ages Nurse Practitioner pathway in our MN program, and are recruiting prospective students for Fall of 2013. You will read more about the opportunity in this issue. We need more Nurse Practitioners to provide primary health care in the province, so please think about how you can support this goal. You might know someone who would be a great NP or you might want to support a scholarship or bursary in this area.
At this time of year, as the holiday season approaches, I want to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your support of the Faculty of Nursing, of our programs and faculty members. I wish you a peace and joy, and a very happy new year.
Warmly,
Anita Molzahn, PhD, RN, FCAHS Dean and Professor
Message from the Dean FALL 2012
We want to hear from YOU As one of the more than 13,000 alumni who receives uAlberta | nursing, your opinion matters greatly to us.
Do you have any comments or suggestions about how we can make your alumni magazine even better? We want to hear them!
Did we mention that all submissions will be entered to win a great prize valued at more than $75? The draw will occur on February 28, 2013 and the winner will receive a copy of each of the books featured on page 20.
Share your thoughts with us by email ([email protected]) or by mail to the address on the back cover. Make sure to include your contact information so that we can notify you if you win!
To help meet the expected need of nurse practitioners in Alberta, the Faculty of Nursing recently re-opened the Family/All Ages area of focus of the MN program. Read more on Page 16.
uAlberta | nursing | 2
When Shirley Stinson returned to the University of Alberta in 1969 fresh from her doctoral studies in New York, nursing research wasn’t exactly a burning priority.
Just one research project was underway at the time, and even that was modest by today’s standards—a comparative analysis of nursing students’ marks from Grade 12 and the results of their registered nurse licensing exam. There was no research funding or coursework available to
support nursing research, faculty or students, Stinson recalls.
Four decades later, it’s a much different story. In June the graduating undergrad class had swelled to 441 from 90, and the 2012 Fall Term saw 1,629 undergraduate, master’s, doctoral and post-doctoral students enrolled in nursing programs.
“There are literally hundreds of projects underway, involving millions of dollars in funding,” Stinson said. “A remarkable research infrastructure has been developed to support faculty and
students, whose research projects often involve partnerships with national and international colleagues.”
Called a “pioneer,” “visionary” and “architect” of nursing research in Alberta, Stinson was recognized June 7 for her significant achievements when she received an honorary doctor of science degree from the University of Alberta.
The architect label hearkened back to childhood dreams, remembers Stinson, whose words to the graduands of 2012 were spoken by long-time colleague and
Nursing pioneer an ‘architect’ of research in Alberta Words: Bryan Alary
3 | FALL 2012
Dr. Shirley Stinson is a transformative figure in nursing scholarship who forged a prolific career over the course of more than five decades, making significant contributions to nursing research, practice and education. She is internationally recognized as a founder of nursing research in Alberta and as an early and effective advocate for the establishment of graduate programs to provide advanced nursing education.” —ANITA MOLZAHN, DEAN OF THE FACULTY OF NURSING
uAlberta | nursing | 4
former student Jeanne Besner (BScN ‘77, PhD ’98). Stinson and her brother Donald delivered the Edmonton Bulletin and The Star Weekly newspapers so they had enough spending money to buy Popular Mechanics.
“I read every issue from cover to cover, and was thoroughly fascinated and entranced with architecture in particular.”
But Stinson’s family was of modest means, so she opted for a more affordable education, following her sister Elizabeth to study nursing at the University of Alberta. After graduating with a BScN in 1953 and working in public health nursing in the region for several years, Stinson decided to go for a master’s degree at the University of Minnesota—“a very significant turning point in my life.”
Stinson went on to teach at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children before pursuing a doctorate in education at Columbia University. When she returned to the University of Alberta to teach in the faculties of nursing and medicine, she was the only nurse with doctoral education in Western Canada.
From the start, Stinson designed and taught courses that were interdisciplinary in nature—
commonplace today but unheard of then. She led efforts to create a master of nursing program at the University of Alberta in 1975 and a PhD program in 1991, and led efforts to create similar programs across Canada.
A prolific researcher and author of more than 100 scientific papers, Stinson was also ahead of her time as an advocate for increased funding support for nursing research.
When the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research was created by the Peter Lougheed government in the early 1980s, funding for nursing and health services administration wasn’t included. Stinson wrote several letters to the premier, a colleague from their days on the University of Alberta Students’ Council, imploring him to “use his power and influence” to include nursing.
Eventually, the province created the Alberta Foundation for Nursing Research, a $1-million endowment for nursing research. Stinson was the inaugural chair from 1982 to 1988, and later served as president of the Canadian Nurses Association, chaired the first international Nursing Research Conference and served as an advisor to
nursing organizations including the World Health Organization.
Stinson was the first woman and first nurse to receive the federal title of Senior Health Research Scientist; is a member of the Alberta Order of Excellence; was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2002 for her vision and leadership in nursing education and research here and abroad; and was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 in recognition of her outstanding service and citizenship.
It’s no wonder a provincial nursing newsletter editor once called Stinson “the architect of nursing research in Alberta.”
“That made me feel that I had indeed realized my dream of becoming an architect!” she said.
Research helped Stinson achieve her dreams, and she implored the graduands to reach for theirs.
“I encourage each and every one of you to do that, keeping in mind that there is a force, a creative energy and intelligence for good in the world beyond our knowing and even our dreaming. So I urge you to be open to exceeding even your wildest dreams.” nx
Today Stinson is dedicated to helping others realize their dreams and has established a graduate scholarship for those interested in studying nursing history.
Are you interested in helping students achieve their dreams as well? You can set up your own scholarship, just like Shirley! Contact Jessica Twidale, Director of Development and Public Relations, by email ([email protected]) or phone (780.492.5804).
5 | FALL 2012
LINKING RESEARCH AND CLINICAL CAREAlberta Health Services (AHS) recently announced the appointment of scientific directors—including alumna, Dr. Colleen Norris (Dip ’78, BScN ’82, MN ’92)—for five of the province’s Strategic Clinical Networks (SCN).
Norris, a professor of nursing with joint appointments in medicine and public health, will be leading the Cardiovascular Health and Stroke SCN to ensure that the scientific research program will strategically meet the health needs of Albertans.
As scientific director she will be responsible for developing, implementing and assessing research outcomes for the Cardiovascular Health and Stroke SCN, working in a leadership role on core strategy and liaising with senior AHS officials.
“The scientific directors will engage their network colleagues to champion a broad provincial health research agenda which addresses the health needs of the SCNs’
target populations,” wrote Kathryn Todd, AHS senior vice-president of research, in a memo to SCN committee members and AHS leadership.
Todd added the directors will be accountable for SCN research grant activities, publications and translating knowledge into action “to ensure every Albertan has access to high-quality health care.”
Norris, who will retain her faculty position during her AHS appointment, said the new role enhances her current cardiovascular research activities at the university where she has received support and mentorship to pursue research and funding.
“The University of Alberta started me off on the path and helped me get to know the community, to network and do the research I do,” she said. “This new role increases the network of people I can access to improve the quality of care for patients in Alberta. nx
Faculty Accolades
COLLEEN NORRIS
RECOGNIZING CREATIVE RESEARCH, TEACHING AND SERVICEGreta Cummings (PhD ’03) has been appointed Centennial Professor, effective July 1, 2013 for a seven year term.
The Centennial Professorship is among the most prestigious of awards at the University of Alberta and is bestowed on members of the academy who have achieved outstanding distinction in their area of research and scholarship, teaching and who have earned favourable regard from the community.
As one of the most effective and productive researchers in the Faculty of Nursing, Cummings is leading or
collaborating in studies bringing in over $29 million in Tri-Council research dollars and she is a committed and highly productive scholar whose work is important and influential.
“We are very proud of Greta and her many accomplishments,” said dean Anita Molzahn. “She is an internationally recognized researcher in leadership and health quality outcomes, and she provides strong professional leadership in oncology nursing as well as in the health system more broadly.” nx
GRETA CUMMINGS
uAlberta | nursing | 6
LOOKING BEYOND THE HORIZONThe recipients of the 2012 Alumni Recognition Awards, which were handed out on September 20 at the Winspear Centre in Edmonton, are some of the most successful individuals in their fields. Joining the ranks of this small number of alumni was Shannon Scott (PhD ’06), who received an Alumni Horizon Award.
Scott, one of few Canadian health-care researchers involved in the field of knowledge translation, noted that she was “extremely honoured” to receive the award, which recognizes the outstanding achievements of alumni early in their careers.
“It was incredibly inspiring to hear about the work of the other alumni award winners. The calibre of the work that they are doing within the University of Alberta and within society at large to help make the world a better place is amazing!”
But Scott, an associate professor in the Faculty of Nursing, is definitely doing her part as well. She has developed a program of research, ECHO (translating Evidence in Child Health to improve Outcomes), which is focused on understanding how research findings are transferred and used in child health settings.
In her short career she has already published more than 60 refereed papers in professional and research journals and has helped to acquire more than $15 million in research funding. In 2011, she was given special recognition when she received the Monique Bégin Prize for Knowledge Translation from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research. She recently received funding as one of the co-directors of a National Centres of Excellence group entitled TREKK (Translating Emergency Knowledge for Kids). nx
SHANNON SCOTT
BUILDING COMMUNITIESDr. Olive Yonge (BScN ’74) has received numerous teaching awards throughout her academic career; however, few have been as prestigious as her most recent accolade—the Vargo Distinguished Teaching Chair.
The University of Alberta’s Vargo Chair is awarded to professors who demonstrate innovative and creative teaching methods that enhance the learning of undergraduate and graduate students. “It’s just a fabulous event in my career,” said Yonge, who recently returned to teaching after serving as Vice-Provost of Academic Programs.
The award, which spans five years, and accompanying stipend will allow her to
develop new ventures related to teaching and learning. For her first project she plans to create Faculty Learning Communities (FLC) in the Faculty of Nursing.
“An FLC is more than a support group for faculty; it’s a community that fosters networking, critical dialogue, brings community to higher education and increases work satisfaction,” said Yonge. “Essentially, faculty can become teaching consultants to each other.” She also noted that there is a potential for the FLC’s to spread to other disciplines in the University of Alberta—especially in the health sciences—and beyond. nx
OLIVE YONGE
7 | FALL 2012
There are bumps in the road, bumpy roads and massive sinkholes. Lisa Adams (PhD ’12) has traversed them all, and she has the physical and emotional scars to prove it. But she also has something else: perspective.
Adams, 44, overcame severe epilepsy that required two major brain surgeries and a lengthy battle with breast cancer on her way to academic excellence with bachelor’s degrees in science and nursing, a master’s degree in community medicine and, as of June 2012, a PhD in nursing from the University of Alberta.
With that kind of perseverance, she isn’t one to sweat the small stuff.
“There are so many people out there going through so much. If you can get up in the morning and you can eat, and you can walk, and you can talk, you’re having a good day,” said Adams, an expert in mental health and addictions.
It’s a lesson she learned early and often, starting at age 10 with a blow to the head from standing too close to a swing set at a playground in her native Newfoundland and Labrador.
Aside from headaches, the youngster didn’t give a thought to long-term damage until a year later, when she
had a “funny feeling in her belly.” She started suffering brief staring episodes, which doctors later determined were seizures caused by a buildup of scar tissue in her skull.
That’s when Adams had her first brain surgery, a partial temporal lobectomy in which doctors filed pieces of the skull and cut away parts of her brain. Afterward she felt better—for a while, anyway.
In 1993, two years into nursing school, Adams again started suffering seizures, this time worse in severity and frequency—five or six a day. She lost her job as a personal care attendant, lost her driver’s licence and was removed from nursing school in Newfoundland out of fears she was a safety concern if she blacked out on the hospital floor.
Epilepsy took a physical and emotional toll, causing her to live like a shut-in.
“You’re afraid to get on the city transit. You’re afraid to go out walking or jogging. You’d be afraid to go outdoors,” said Adams.
A second temporal lobectomy in Montreal, this time aided by the advent of MRI technology, finally ended her seizures for good.
“It was like a breath of new life,” she recalls. “You don’t have that anxiety because you’re afraid something is going to happen. No words can describe how freeing that is.”
Although she was forced to start her nursing studies anew, Adams embraced life with renewed vigour. She married, completed two more degrees and took up jogging and gardening. In 2005, she decided to enrol in the University of Alberta’s nursing PhD program.
“For me, the PhD was the ultimate. I think I almost had to show myself and to show the world and my friends and
Overcoming all obstacles
Lisa Adams overcomes life-threatening brain surgeries and breast cancer en route to nursing PhD.WORDS: BRYAN ALARY
You’d be afraid to go outdoors
Celebrating after convocating!
uAlberta | nursing | 8
family that, in spite of everything I went through, I can do my PhD. Lisa can set her mind to do anything.”
But en route to Edmonton for her residency in the spring of 2006, Adams experienced a new setback: a lump in her breast. Once she was in Alberta, doctors found several cancerous tumours—news she was forced to absorb alone.
“They knew I was from Newfoundland, that I was by myself,” Adams recalls. “I was crying so much that the nurse was holding my hand throughout the test.”
After undergoing surgery, Adams returned to Newfoundland, where she received several rounds of chemotherapy so aggressive she was hospitalized for every treatment. The last time, doctors halted treatment after she passed out in the emergency room.
“They told me my body just couldn’t take it anymore,” she recalls. “After all of that I thought, it’s definitely not the cancer that kills you, it’s the treatment.”
Adams credits her husband Shannon for helping through those darkest of days.
“He was a fabulous individual. I’ve actually dedicated my thesis to my husband for that journey,” Adams said, choking back tears. Their relationship, and her studies at the Faculty of Nursing, helped her persevere.
“I kept going with my courses, I didn’t stop studying. I needed something to preoccupy my mind.”
But Adams’ battle didn’t end there. She had a mastectomy, hysterectomy and tonsillectomy to ensure the cancer didn’t return, along with three reconstructive surgeries.
But in spite of all her battles, Adams didn’t lose sight of her end goal: a PhD. Nursing professor Colleen Norris (Dip ’78, BScN ’82, MN ’92) was Adams’ co-supervisor but did not realize the seriousness of her health issues until she travelled to Newfoundland to help with analytical work for her PhD dissertation.
“That’s the first time I heard about any of these issues, when we’d go for walks as a break in between. I was overwhelmed. How has anybody succeeded through all of this?” Norris said. “It speaks to her fortitude —I’m just carrying on, this isn’t going to stop me.”
Norris said she’s never met another student who has applied for research grants and awards, and submitted manuscripts like Adams.
PhD was the ultimate
9 | FALL 2012
PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NUMBER 40065232 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:LEVEL 3, EDMONTON CLINIC HEALTH ACADEMY, 11405 87 AVENUEUNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA T6G 1C9
“She really puts herself out there all the time. Her outlook on life is anything can happen, and is constantly asking questions, trying to learn. She’s a real scholar.”
Now cancer-free, Adams is enjoying a sense of renewal, running 30 to 40 kilometres a week, spending time with her husband, writing research articles, serving on the board of directors for the Newfoundland chapter of the Canadian Cancer Society and contract teaching at Athabasca University.
Adams recently received an offer to publish a book about mental health in the workplace. She also hasn’t ruled out writing about her own life experiences.
“For myself, maybe someday I will write about my life and everything I’ve been through and overcome. I certainly think there could be a message, of inspiration. I feel very proud of my accomplishments, and you know, I tell people—don’t sweat the small stuff.” nx
LISA WITH HER HUSBAND SHANNON
Olga Alexandruk BScN ’69, in June
Gwendolyn Boyd (neé McCoy) Dip ’56, in August
Sharon Bruneau BScN ’72, in August
Rita Delaney Dip ‘79, in April 2008
Pearl De Maere (neé Hawkins) Dip ’61, in July 2008
Aili Dore Dip ’60, in July
Joan Hagen (neé Roberts) BScN ’86, in July
Margaret Hiller (neé Ludwig) Dip ’42, BScN ’43, in May
Marianne Mellor Dip ‘56, in May
Evelyn Michael (neé Farquharson) Dip ’35, in October 2006
Shirley Mollerup (neé Harris) Dip ’57, BScN ’59, in July
Margaret Murphy (neé Hargrave), BScN ’33, in July 2000
Monica Niles Dip ’79, in November 2005
Venus Parkman (neé Olson) BScN ’96, in May
E. Patricia Pinnel Dip ’53, in November 2011
Helen Seymour Dip ’53, in April
Ruth Stephens (neé Gilchrist) Dip ’41, BScN ’42, in February
Barbara Wallace (neé Racine) BScN ‘69, in October
Josephine Yearwood Dip ’57, in June 2009
In Memoriam The Faculty of Nursing notes with sorrow the passing of the following graduates. (Passings occurred in 2012 unless otherwise noted.)
If you are interested in setting up a memorial fund, please contact Jessica Twidale, Director of Development and Public Relations, at 780.492.5804.
uAlberta | nursing | 10
The Faculty of Nursing notes with sorrow the passing of the following graduates. (Passings occurred in 2012 unless otherwise noted.)
Painting a healthy picture The art of nursing WORDS: YOLANDA POFFENROTH & BRYAN ALARY
Mandy Archibald (BScN ’07) has no illusions that a brush stroke is a cure-all for kids with asthma. But it might make their health-care journey easier.As a pediatric nurse at the Stollery Children’s Hospital and a PhD student in the Faculty of Nursing, Archibald has seen her share of children with respiratory problems. Every diagnosis comes with unique experiences for kids and their families, and helping them understand the road ahead could help reduce fear and anxiety, she said.
“Parents are the ones who are home day in and day out, so finding ways to
help them further understand their child’s condition or health information so they can manage their child’s asthma is key. I’m curious to see if we can use art as a strategy to help parents with that.”
Exploring the effectiveness of such “low doses of art” is at the heart of Archibald’s nursing PhD dissertation. It also coincides with her other passion: art and the creative process.
Largely a self-taught artist, Archibald started out like many kids, doodling and drawing. “Some of my earliest memories are of drawing at the kitchen table with my sister—we would draw paper dolls and create an entire world of characters.”
Science and art have a really strong relationship
11 | FALL 2012
When she was 10 she begged her mom for some paints and set up her own make-shift studio in the family rumpus room. Later, she immersed herself in summer art programs and explored acrylic painting, ink and mixed-media graphic imagery. She held her first show in Edmonton at the age of 18.
But life as an artist, with worries about production and sales to pay the bills, was stifling to her creative process. After enrolling in an anatomy class to help with her art and some gentle encouragement from her family, Archibald decided to jump into another passion: health care.
She continued to nurture her creative side while completing her BScN and found that nursing was inspiring her and influencing her art. She began
exploring individuality and reflective viewing through portraiture, and with that, the idea of combining art and nursing arose.
While practicing at the Stollery Children’s Hospital, Archibald was seeking a new challenge and thought that advance practice nursing would provide her with the freedom, autonomy and challenge that she was seeking.
Archibald entered the master of nursing program in 2010 and almost immediately became inspired. “I’ve always regarded nursing as a creative and artful practice; however, it wasn’t until my passion for research was ignited that I saw an alternative avenue to explore the role of arts in nursing.”
While talking to her supervisor, Shannon Scott (PhD ’06), Archibald had an ‘Aha!’ moment.
“We were discussing the use of stories to convey information on
pediatric asthma and I thought wait a second, there is a great opportunity here to integrate visual art and expand on literary arts.”
With the realization that she could build bridges between the art world and academia, Archibald shifted gears and entered the doctoral program in 2011. She feels extremely fortunate that her PhD work, which involves creating storybooks to help kids and parents understand asthma, allows her the freedom to pursue her passions in a creative and beneficial way.
Archibald plans to interview parents to talk about their experiences with their child’s condition, analyze that information and translate it into a mix of graphic and expressive evidence-based storybooks. The idea expands on the work of her PhD supervisors, Shannon Scott and Lisa Hartling, who use storytelling in knowledge translation.
“Arts-based research provides us with new and unique opportunities to understand health and illness from another perspective. We are seeing more examples of use of arts-based approaches in nursing and health care research, education and practice, and they are proving to be very valuable in disseminating key messages from research.” —ANITA MOLZAHN, DEAN OF THE
FACULTY OF NURSING
uAlberta | nursing | 12
Stories are not a new approach to communicating, Archibald notes. People have used stories and art to communicate for thousands of years and there is an emotive component to stories that can be very powerful.
Archibald hopes the work helps parents in ways standard literature, such as fact sheets, and verbal information currently doesn’t.
“A lot of times parents report their child was diagnosed with asthma, they had no idea what it was, that it went on for years until the point where their child basically turned blue in the lips before they received the appropriate resources to help them manage,” she said. “Can the power of story leverage written words to help transmit information more effectively? Can visual art augment this process of
translating knowledge effectively? We’re hoping so.”
Archibald really likes using storytelling to convey information about childhood asthma because standard literature does not capture that asthma is something that happens to a child and affects that child and their family. “Sometimes when you talk about ‘asthma’ generically, it is ‘something out there’—it appears clear cut and non-personalized.”
For example, a fact sheet may state that pets and smoke can exacerbate asthma; however, it doesn’t tell parents that they may face difficult decisions that are laden with uncertainty and emotional difficulties, such as deciding whether or not they need to give up a family pet. “Providing information through stories that address issues like this can provide a context to childhood asthma that can be really
helpful for families,” she said.It’s still too early to know how
effective her efforts will be, but like any good artist or scientist, she’s open to exploration and discovery.
“For me, science and art have a really strong relationship,” she said. “What we’re trying to do through art is recreate a feeling of the world, to create a representation of our experiences to better understand our place in it.”
“Similarly, we attempt to understand the world through the scientific process, which I believe is a comparatively creative process of inquiry.”
Archibald would like to thank the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute and the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program for their support in pursuing this research. nx
Interested in viewing more of Archibald’s art, or even purchasing one of her original works? Contact her at [email protected] for more information!
13 | FALL 2012
Being isolated in a remote outpost caring for the sick in sweltering heat might not be everyone’s recipe for a summer vacation. But for four nursing students, it was part of a remarkable—and rewarding—learning experience.
Ross Ballantyne, Sarah Colvin, Eric Dang and Maggie Danko spent three and a half weeks of their summer nursing in hospital and remote clinic settings in Nepal. The self-planned volunteer excursion put the foursome’s training to good use, and helped them gain hands-on patient care experience with local practices and traditions.
“The capacity that the nurses have there is completely amazing,” said Ballantyne. “When a patient comes in for treatment, the nurses know everything about them and they ensure a patient’s general health is looked after—providing health care as opposed to just sick care. The entire experience was very beneficial for us.”
Planning for the trip started when Colvin started researching opportunities for volunteer travel overseas.
“I had been Googling volunteer holidays because I always felt like I wanted to give back in some sense. Then I found out you could actually do nursing, and travel internationally, and go sightseeing in Nepal, so that was it,” she said.
The students made their own arrangements through a third-party agency, leaving Canada not knowing where in Nepal they would actually end up nursing. When they landed and made their way to Nepal’s Chitwan District, the heat was oppressive—56 C with 90 per cent humidity.
After some sightseeing, a brief orientation and language classes, Colvin and Danko were assigned to nurse in a family-planning clinic and in Scheer Memorial Hospital in Banepa, a rural community on the outskirts of Kathmandu. In the hospital, they worked in obstetrics/gynecology and emergency—the latter introducing the pair to numerous accidents involving motorbikes, the main mode of transport.
They also saw how care teams handle psychiatric patients, particularly young women who have attempted suicide or have been poisoned. One patient even feigned poisoning and comatose symptoms to get her family’s attention, said Danko. “It was an eye-opening experience—there are a lot of family pressures on girls around arranged marriages and having children very young,” she explained.
The men found themselves posted in a community clinic in Padam Pokhari, which Dang described as a typical village: remote, hot, lots of bugs and
little access to technology—“minus the one computer,” he said. It was a 90-minute walk each way (or a 25-minute bike ride) just to reach the clinic, where the bulk of the work involved applying dressings to wounds.
Despite language barriers where the local medical officers didn’t speak English, the pair did their best to keep up and help as many people as possible. They encountered some interesting cases along the way.
“We saw a worm in someone’s knuckle. I didn’t even think that could happen,” said Ballantyne of parasite extractions, a common procedure in Padam Pokhari. “You would never see that here.”
In the face of the challenges of working thousands of kilometres from home, and in less sophisticated clinical settings, the foursome came away with something far more valuable than a summer vacation, full of learning and discovery that each will cherish.
“There are no words that can describe it—the experience, the people, the culture, the food,” Colvin said. “I can’t do the people or the country justice. We wanted to change Nepal, but Nepal changed us.” nx
NURSING IN NEPALWORDS: BRYAN ALARY
Ross Ballantyne, Eric Dang, Sarah Colvin and Maggie Danko
uAlberta | nursing | 14
It’s not every day that University of Alberta nursing and medical students get to practice their skills side-by-side, let alone in a rural community welcoming them with open arms.
But that was exactly the case on October 20 when seven nursing students and 48 medical students participated in a rural clinical skills day in Stettler, Alberta. The day allowed students to hone clinical skills such as suturing, inserting catheters and making casts while exposing them to the workplace environment and life in a small town.
“I’m really interested in how we work together in a care team, so I thought this was a perfect way to explore that further than we normally do in a classroom setting or when we’re in our own nursing bubble,” said Andrew McCutcheon, a third-year nursing student.
“Interprofessional education is something the Faculty of Nursing and all the health sciences faculties have made a priority,” said Kaysi Eastlick Kushner, associate dean of undergraduate education. “It’s part of the dream of this building (Edmonton Clinic Health Academy), in terms of bringing students from a whole variety of programs to common spaces.”
RURAL WELCOME The event at Stettler Regional
Hospital featured several clinical sessions overseen by rural physicians and nurses but during the course of the day students also met EMS workers, RCMP, town councillors and local business leaders, in addition to a tour of a nearby Hutterite colony.
It was a welcome that personifies rural Alberta for McCutcheon, who wants to work in a smaller centre as much for the sense of community as the greater independence and scope of practice.
“In the city there tend to be a lot of specialist clinics, which is good, but it’s just not the kind of practice that I’m interested in. I’m interested in the whole person and that’s why rural is a good fit for me.”
Brittany Walsh has spent the last nine months working in emergency and acute care but never gave much thought to working in rural Alberta. A registered psychiatric nurse enrolled in her second year of the after-degree program, she jumped at the chance to experience something different—even passing up a critical care course the same weekend that she’d already paid for.
“I have no experience in rural, I’ve never been exposed to rural and I feed off other people’s knowledge,” said Walsh. “I love hearing about other
people’s experiences and what they’ve learned.”
The session allowed nursing and medical students to practise each other’s skills, ultimately bridging a gap of understanding of how a care team operates, she said.
TRADITIONAL WAY OF LIFEOne of the day’s highlights was a tour
of the Lone Pine Hutterite Colony, which included an introduction to their history, a homemade dinner in their dining hall and singing of German hymns. It offered a rare glimpse into a traditional agrarian way of life that’s an important part of the Stettler community.
The experience resonated with several students like Jessica Uffen, a third-year collaborative honours student.
“It was important to see firsthand and get their opinions on health care and how they would like to be treated and how they live their lives,” she said. “I’m even considering doing my final practicum in a rural setting. Until now I’d never even considered it.” nx
A RURAL PERSPECTIVE
Second-year med student Bethany Ostrowerka (left) and second-year nursing student Sonja Vannen practice their suturing skills
Nicole Clausen, a second-year nursing student practices spine immobilization
(Pho
tos:
Cai
t Will
s, R
PAP)
WORDS: BRYAN ALARY
15 | FALL 2012
THE METAMORPHOSIS OF NURSE PRACTITIONERSWORDS: YOLANDA POFFENROTH
As a nurse practitioner Kathleen Hunter (BScN ’82, MN ’92, PhD ’06) spent her days as one of the few constants in a hectic and continually changing environment. Liaising between physicians, registered nurses, unit managers, patients and families, Hunter would plan care goals and discharge plans for each patient under her care.
She typically began her days with morning rounds with the attending physician before bridging with the nurses as to the medical plans for patients. Hunter would then discuss the necessary nursing care with the charge nurse and stay until the early evening, when she would connect with patients’ families and explain what was happening in terms of care.
What led Hunter, now an assistant professor with the Faculty of Nursing, on the nurse practioner path?
“The development of advance practice roles in Canada has allowed people like
me, who love clinical practice, to continue to grow in their careers, but be able to stay at a very point of care level,” she said. “Not all of us are administrators or career scientists - not that those roles aren’t highly valuable - some of us just love clinical practice.”
Transforming over timeAlthough nurse practitioners have
existed in Canada for nearly 40 years, it took many decades for their position to evolve in to what it currently is—a bridging role that fills a unique niche in the healthcare system.
In addition to her full time academic appointment that includes teaching and research, Hunter also spends one day a week at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in geriatric services where she often sees a break in healthcare.
“In the falls prevention clinic we see that gap firsthand,” she said. “There are many people who don’t have a primary care provider; or, due to overloaded primary care services, some people must wait two to three weeks to see their family physician.
By that time a small and easily treated medical issue may have progressed quite far and require a complex treatment plan or even hospitalization.”
But nurse practitioners can help to patch this gap. When working with seniors and with patients who have chronic conditions, nurse practioners can help prevent hospitalizations. “Instead of having to pass my patients off to another practitioner, I can recognize when we may be running in to difficulties and order the necessary lab work and prescribe the required medication.”
Changing the futureIt was recently announced that
the government of Alberta is planning to spend billions
of dollars over the next
To help meet the expected need of nurse practitioners in Alberta, the Faculty of Nursing recently re-opened the Family/All Ages area of focus of the MN program, while continuing to offer the Adult area of focus. Both lead to eligibility for registration as a nurse practitioner.
The deadline for admission to the Fall 2013 MN program for either area of focus is February 1, 2013.
If you’d like more information, please contact the Office of Graduate Programs by email ([email protected]), phone (1.888.492.8089), or visit our website (www.nursing.ualberta.ca/Graduate).
Did reading about the niche that nurse practitioners fill in healthcare pique your interest? Can you see yourself enjoying an advance practice role?
uAlberta | nursing | 16
“In Alberta there has been tremendous progress and maturation of the profession within the last decade since legislation passed allowing nurse practitioners to practice. In the coming years, I see our role becoming better recognized by our peers and by Albertans themselves as they realize how we can benefit the practice environment and a patients’ overall health.
It boils down to improving access to services and figuring out who can do what, and then going about it in a logical way.
We know that people who are under the care of primary care providers do well in terms of having their health issues addressed and managing chronic disease. I think that it’s about realizing that there are different people who can do primary care and getting these people together to provide good primary care to patients in a community setting.
We are also seeing a metamorphosis of nurse practitioners who have traditionally been within an acute care environment now providing specialized services for community patients by supporting outpatient clinics, chest pains clinics, etc.
At the end of day, really and truly, I think that most of us are about providing people with really good quality healthcare—we’re all here for a common goal, to ensure that people are living good quality lives. If we can impact that goal in any way, that’s what we’re going to do.”—STEWART MACLENNAN
Stewart MacLennan (MN ’10) has been practicing as a nurse practitioner since 2007 and recently shifted his practice from urgent care to correctional health, looking after people who are in secure prisons. He is the first nurse practitioner to work in provincial corrections in Alberta.
several years on the creation of family care clinics across the province.
In addition to an expanded role in primary care, the actual number of
nurse practitioners is expected to double from the nearly 350 currently registered in Alberta to 700, as the government would like to have at least two practicing at every family care clinic.
“Convenient access to team-based primary care close to home drives improvements throughout the health system,” said Fred Horne, Minister of Health and Wellness. “These clinics will improve access in underserved communities - both urban and rural - across Alberta. They will support the increasing numbers of Albertans living with chronic diseases like diabetes, help take pressure off our emergency rooms, and reach out to those in need of mental health and addictions services at an earlier stage – all under one roof.”
Hunter is delighted that more attention is being paid to the nurse practitioner role and the benefits of interdisciplinary teams. “With family care clinics, nurse practitioners can be primary care providers for a group of patients.” If a patient needs a referral to a dietician, physiotherapist, psychologist or even a physician, working in an interdisciplinary team allows for that continuous care.
“Working in an interdisciplinary model is the best way to serve patients. One profession or one group doesn’t hold all of the answers; strength comes from working within that interdisciplinary model of care.” nx
• Prescribingmedications
• Managingcomplexchronicandacuteillnesses
• Performingannualcheckups
• Orderingandinterpretingdiagnostictests
• Admittinganddischargingprivilegesinhospitals (B.C. & Ontario only)
Nurse Practitioners can perform many duties, including:
17 | FALL 2012
Sandy Cobban (PhD ‘12) and Carole Estabrooks (MN ‘87, PhD ‘97)
When Sandy Cobban was in elementary school, she longed to be a nurse when she grew up; however, by the time she graduated from high school, her thoughts had shifted to a career as a dental hygienist. After receiving a certificate in dental assisting and a diploma in dental hygiene, Cobban spent the next two decades working in public health as a dental hygienist until she was laid off during the 1990s health care budget cuts in Alberta.
She picked herself up, dusted herself off and moved on. “I became a sessional instructor with the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta and completed a Master of Distance Education before joining the Department of Dentistry as a faculty member.”
Cobban had thoughts of completing an interdisciplinary PhD, but it wasn’t until she took a course offered by Carole Estabrooks (MN ’87, PhD ’97) on the topic knowledge utilization, that she found her passion.
“I became completely fascinated with the whole area of research utilization and I knew at that point that I wanted to work with Carole, and only her,” she said.
The fact that non-nurses weren’t accepted in to the PhD program at the time didn’t even cause Cobban to pause. “I knew it was up to me to convince the Faculty of Nursing.” Her first argument was that nursing knowledge and research are not solely developed by, nor solely applied to nursing—there are other applications. For example, knowledge from physiology and microbiology are used in nursing. As well, nursing research on caring is used in dental hygiene and other fields. Her second argument? “I told them that I’m the perfect person to take this on,” she said with a laugh.
With that, she entered the PhD program in 2006 with Estabrooks as her supervisor and began focusing on oral health in long term care. “It is really is the perfect interdisciplinary blend dental hygiene and nursing,” she said.
“Mouth care is not just a dental hygiene issue; it’s a nursing issue as well because nurses are responsible for the health status of residents in long term care, so it’s not specific to dental hygiene.”
Why is mouth care soimportant? “There are so many important linkages between the health of the mouth and the health of the body and there is so much work that can be done in that area,” she said. “When people go in to long term care they’re typically more frail and more likely to have their teeth, usually with sophisticated dentistry like bridges and crowns than they were two decades ago. These factors mean that people aren’t as able to take care of their own mouth.”
In 2004 Cobban was diagnosed with cancer, treated and given the all clear. Unfortunately, in 2007, a year in to her PhD studies, the cancer returned. “I’ve pretty much been on chemotherapy and radiation, or some other thing since then,” she said.
WHEN CHILDHOOD DREAMS BECOME REALITY WORDS: YOLANDA POFFENROTH
“I thought I would never be so proud again as I was on March 22 when Sandy successfully defended her PhD thesis. But on June 13 I think I was even more proud when she walked across the stage – it was a goal we had worked so very long to realize. It was a privilege to work with Sandy and I am often humbled by her courage, her determination and her grace under the most difficult of circumstances. And it has been a pleasure to see her collaborating with faculty and students here and internationally since graduating as she has worked diligently to ensure that we do not neglect or forget the importance of oral health for both the health and well being of frail seniors in nursing homes.” —CAROLE ESTABROOKS
uAlberta | nursing | 18
Although many would shy away from working on their PhD while undergoing cancer treatment, Cobban didn’t even give it a second thought. “My studies were a part of my life. Obviously they weren’t something that I had to do in order to survive, but my mindset was, ‘This is what I want to do and this is what I am doing.’”
In fact, having a goal was something that helped Cobban through the rough patches. “Even my oncologist said that people who have something that they’re working towards or something that they’re continuing to work on, do much better.”
Keeping up with her studies and treatment was hard, but with a lot of planning and monitoring her condition, Cobban had everything down to a science. She knew when she would feel her best and when she had to write or study—there couldn’t be any postponements or procrastination.
Cobban describes the support that she received from both her supervisor
and the Faculty of Nursing as absolutely amazing. “My comprehensive exams were scheduled for the day before chemotherapy, when I was my healthiest.” The same was true for when her candidacy and her defense were scheduled. “Each time they made sure that I had access to a room that had a couch so that could lie down if I needed a break.”
At one point, Cobban began to doubt herself. “I told Carole that I didn’t want her to lower the bar for me and she replied, ‘don’t worry, I won’t,’ and I am so grateful for that mentality. It would have been demoralizing to think that someone would lower their standard just because I was sick. Carole felt that I could rise to the level.”
And rise she did. On March 22, 2012, the day before a chemotherapy treatment, Cobban successfully defended her thesis with family and her external examiner, Dr. Dorothy Pringle, present. Less than three months later,
In 2011, Cobban and a colleague developed a new practicum where third-year dental hygiene students visit long-term care facilities to inspect the teeth of residents who don’t often receive oral health treatment.
on June 13, she walked across the Jubilee Auditorium stage with son Nigel (who received his Bachelor of Education degree on the same stage the previous day) on her arm in front of a packed audience. With that, she became the first non-nurse to receive a PhD in Nursing at the University of Alberta—her childhood dream becoming a reality.
“I don’t have any regrets; I am so happy that I received a PhD in Nursing.”
“I don’t think that I could have picked a better interdisciplinary topic to look at—it was absolutely perfect.” nx
19 | FALL 2012
Murder in the tropicsBennie Chisholm (Dip ’52, BScN ’53) originally turned to writing when she was a nursing student as a way to cope with what she saw while working on the hospital wards. She kept at it and nearly six decades later, Chisholm has published her first novel Stained Sand, a classic murder mystery set in Hawaii.
When did you realize that writing could be more than a hobby?After starting to raise children, I took a writing course through the University of Calgary. One of my verses was published in Chatelaine and a few articles and short stories appeared in smaller magazines, newspapers, and booklets. As well, I also took a course at the Banff Centre with Robert Sawyer, a great Canadian science fiction writer. I discovered that as much as I enjoyed reading science fiction, my writing always took a mystery twist!
Where does your inspiration come from?In my mind a few vague ideas come that could work as a mystery novel. It takes quite a few re-writes to get it all together. For example, Stained Sand brought together three things: an acquaintance whose son became a debilitated drug addict; my knowledge of how legal drugs (and illegal ones) can affect a person’s personality; and I had vacationed on Maui.
Why do you like to write mysteries?I like trying to solve the puzzle of a whodunit and I appreciate a well written story with well developed characters. I try to do all three.
Philomela Nightingale is the main character in Stained Sand. Other than character names, how has nursing influenced your writing?The protagonists in my first couple of unpublished novels were nurses. I continue to be interested in developments in medicine, and in my writing I often have to edit out too much verbiage about diet and health problems.
At a time when many of your classmates are slowing down, you’re picking up speed! What are your future plans?Right now, a publishing house has a sequel to Stained Sand. They said it would take three months before someone could read it. That was four months ago and I’m still waiting to learn the outcome. I’ve started another mystery and if my health holds I might revisit a few earlier ones—they are almost historical now! nx
win
these books!
See page 2 for details!
Telling the story of rural nursing Through Their Own Eyes offers a view into the world of rural nursing as experienced by fourth year nursing students and their rural nurse preceptors. Borne of a unique research project led by Drs. Olive Yonge (BScN ‘74) and Florence Myrick (PhD ’98), this book presents their central findings through the images and words of eight people who agreed to share their remarkable preceptorship journeys.
A small group of nursing students and their rural nurse preceptors in Alberta and Saskatchewan were equipped with digital cameras and sent forth on a seemingly straightforward errand: to show the world of rural nursing in the Canadian prairies through their own images and words. The hope was to challenge urban preconceptions about rural health care and persuade future nursing students to consider rural placements, but everyone was instructed to be as candid as possible. Yonge and Myrick wanted the unvarnished story of rural nursing.
Various pictures were much as they had envisioned: beds, equipment, staff, nursing stations, report rooms, and aspects of a nurse’s daily routine.
But many more images perplexed them: why the pictures of the tractor dealership, the coffee shop, the church, the parade, the junior hockey game, the oil rigs, the canola fields, the endless stretches of highway? Why did the participants feel compelled to show aspects of their lives which had little apparent relevance to their daily careers?
The story of rural nursing cannot be told without the story of rural life. Rural nurses do not cease providing care when they exit the hospital, nor do they set aside their roles as spouses, parents, friends, volunteers, parishioners, and lodge members when they don their uniforms. Rural nurses follow a highly integrated professional and community ethos: a rural code.
What is the rural code? Resourcefulness, trust, thrift, pride, courage, fellowship, selflessness, and openness. These descriptors are more than cultural values; they are attributes borne of identification with the landscape. As the participants presented their photos to Yonge and Myrick, they observed the simultaneous unfolding of the rural code in both clinical and community-based contexts depicting the interweaving of caregiving and community. nx
For more about Bennie’s book, visit www.BenniChisholm.ca. Stained Sand is available in hard cover, paperback, and e-books at FriesenPress.com, Amazon.ca, and Chapters.ca.
To download Through Their Own Eyes for free, or purchase a hardcover version, visit
www.clinicalteaching.ualberta.com uAlberta | nursing | 20
win
these books!
See page 2 for details!
Class of September 1947
Harriet Younie (Dip ‘39) checking out a patient simulator in the Learning Resource Centre
Class of January 1950
Keeping it in the family - Barbara Hay (Dip ‘50) and her daughter
Nancy Bullard (Dip ‘77)
Class of September 1947 touring a high-fidelity simulation lab in the
Learning Resource Centre
Would you rather receive this magazine by email instead of snail mail?
Contact us at [email protected] and we’ll ensure that your issue
of uAlberta | nursing is delivered straight to your email inbox!
The 2012 Reunion Weekend Open House & Learning Resource Centre Tour and the 1st Annual Nursing MN & PhD Alumni Reunion were held September 22 at the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy. More than 150 alumni and friends attended the events to reconnect with each other and tour the nursing labs.
Class of 1982 getting up close and personal with a motorcycle accident
simulator
Class of January 1962 sharing some laughs in the Learning Resource Centre
Class of September 1952 Class of September 1957
Class of September 1959 sharing the day with their husbands
Class of January 1961 at the Guru Nanak Dev Healing Garden at the
Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute in Edmonton, Summer 2011
Class of September 1962 in September 2012
Class of January 1962 (and a
few husbands!) in June 2012Class of 1972
Class of September 1966 in
Banff, September 2011
Donna McLean (BScN ‘87, MN ‘98, PhD ‘12) with her PhD Supervisor, Rene Day (Dip ‘65, BScN ‘66)
and daughter Savannah – a future alumna!
The Class of September 1955 invites all alumni to the Annual Alumni Dinner
Date: Tuesday, May 7, 2013Time: Cocktails 6 p.m.
(no host bar) Dinner 7 p.m.Location: Calgary Golf &
Country Club 50 Avenue &
Elbow Drive SW Calgary, AlbertaCost: $45
Please RSVP by April 30, 2013 to Fiona Wilson by phone (780.492.9171) or email ([email protected]).
Upcoming Calgary Alumni Events
Class of 1982Class of September 1974
Class of 1987
MN Reunion
Dean Molzahn and Peggy Szumlas at the MN Reunion
PhD Reunion
I would like to make a donation to support a:
❑ Bursary ❑ Scholarship ❑ Dean’s Discretionary Fund
❑ Nursing Research Chair in Aging and Quality of Life ❑ Other.
❑ I would like information on how to leave a legacy gift to the U of A.
❑ I have made a provision for the U of A in my estate plan (will, trust, etc.).
❑ I am interested in learning more about making a gift of stock
❑ 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.
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:Faculty of Nursing Level 3, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy 11405 87 Avenue, University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 1C9
Ph: 780.492.9171 Fax: 780.492.2551 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.nursing.ualberta.ca
04205
Name ___________________________________________________________
Phone ( _____ ) _____________________ Email ________________________
Address _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Province ______ PC __________________
uAlberta | nursing | FALL 2012
uAlberta | nursing Published by Faculty of Nursing Level 3, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy 11405 87 Avenue University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1C9
Website: www.nursing.ualberta.ca
Editor: Yolanda Poffenroth
Photographs courtesy of Yolanda Poffenroth, Linda & Jin Szeto of Resplendent Photography, University of Alberta, Sarah Colvin, Carole Estabrooks, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Lisa Adams, and Cait Wills of RPAP
For more information about donating to the Faculty of Nursing, contact Jessica Twidale at [email protected] /780.492.5804
Find us on Facebook! facebook.com/UofANursing
What does the Dean’s Discretionary Fund support?It helps students in financial need by providing emergency funds to cover things like:•Livingexpenses,likerent
and food•Tuition•BooksAs well, the fund also helps cover the cost of attending conferences.