Our New Faculty Members

Since our last Touchpoints we have been sorry to say goodbye to a few faculty members who have gone on to expand their resumes at other faculties or institutions, or better yet, to travel and relax.

Anne Dewar – retired – November 2014
Tarnia Taverner – Fraser Health Authority – December 2015
Farah Jetha – BCIT – January 2016

But the silver that lines the cloud of change is that we have the opportunity to inject some new energy into the School of Nursing. Our new faculty members are involved in important research, have achieved career goals, published papers, and received awards and accolades, all of which you can read about on their profile pages in the OUR PEOPLE section of our website. But who are they beyond these walls? We put some random questions to them and here’s how they responded.

Fuchsia Howard, MSN, PhD – September 1, 2015

Dr Howard is no stranger to the UBC School of Nursing, having arrived fresh out of the University of Alberta in 1999 with a BSN in Nursing, to undertake her journey toward MSN and PhD degrees, which she obtained in 2004 and 2010 respectively.

I was born and raised in the tranquil Slocan Valley, close to Nelson, BC and currently live at UBC with my husband and my two delightful and busy daughters, ages 2 and 4. I enjoy spending time in the mountains skiing, biking or climbing, but my heart lies with my family.

There’s no better word to live by than “Gratitude,” and the most important qualities for a nurse or researcher to cultivate in themselves is patience and persistence, but my favourite life lesson is “Never give up.” It’s cliché, but it’s true.

I was drawn to nursing by the knowledge that nurses change people’s lives. My mother enjoys a high quality of life, despite significant health challenges, because of the dedication and excellence of the health workers who support and believe in her.

The people at UBC are the best. My colleagues inspire me daily and not a day goes by without someone making me crack a smile.

The book I am currently reading for fun is The Goldfinch (Donna Tarrt), but the last book I finished was The Lorax (Dr Seuss).

My best holiday was riding on a motorcycle across Argentina My worst: riding on a motorcycle across Argentina!

When asked what is her favourite song to sing when she thinks nobody’s listening, Dr Howard responded, “I only sing on Halloween – to scare my children.”

Jennifer Kryworuchko – September 1, 2015

Dr Kryworuchko received a BScN degree in Nursing in 1993 and her PhD in Nursing in 2011 from the University of Ottawa. She has a diploma in Critical Care Nursing (1997) from Algonquin College and a Graduate Diploma in Health Services and Policy Research from the University of Ottawa (2011). Dr. Kryworuchko served in the Canadian Forces, Department of National Defense from 1990-1998, as a staff nurse in the Ottawa Hospital Intensive Care Unit (1997-99, 2002-2008), and began as a tenure track Assistant Professor at the University of Saskatchewan in 2010. She served as Interim Graduate Chair managing the Master of Science, Nurse Practitioner, and PhD programs, and is licensed as a registered nurse in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. She holds certification in Critical Care Nursing through the Canadian Nurses Association.

I was born and raised in Ottawa, but now I live on the UBC Vancouver campus – in a rental apartment with my husband and our four kids – two here and two away at University in Saskatchewan and Ontario. I love walking to work, and living on campus. There is a great energy here! I love feeling welcome, and appreciate all the support that staff and faculty offer each other. On the down side, being new can be difficult – figuring every little detail out takes so much time!

Honestly, I wasn’t going to be a nurse. It was a happy accident. My mom was a nurse and she did not at all try to encourage me to try nursing. But I did and I absolutely love the ability to meet with people and be as helpful as possible when they are really sick, to help them live their lives as well as possible. And whether I work in ICU, teach, or do my research, I am always nursing with each of my patients at the centre of my work.

I LOVE driving my kids to their high performance sports! (Ha!) My daughter is a synchronized swimming athlete (swims 25 hours per week) and my son is a canoe slalom athlete and soccer player….I love watching them compete and practice, and I spend time on various non-profit boards to support youth athletes.

I like Nike’s slogan – “Just Do It”. I think people should figure out what they are passionate about and what change they want to be in the world, and then just really go for it. Don’t make excuses. There are always barriers, you just have to figure out a way to have impact. It matters to the world that we each commit to this, probably each of us focusing on something a little different!

My advice to new nurses and researchers is always to be deeply respectful and insanely curious.

Emily Jenkins – January 1, 2016

Dr Jenkins received a BSN degree in Nursing from the University of British Columbia in 2005. She completed a Master’s of Public Health at Simon Fraser University in 2010 and a PhD in Nursing at the University of British Columbia in July 2015. Her Master’s in Public Health (MPH) was supervised by Drs. Elliot Goldner and Denise Zabkiewicz. Her doctoral study was supervised by Drs. Joy Johnson and Vicky Bungay. Dr. Jenkins is a Registered Nurse in British Columbia and has Canadian Nursing Association (CNA) Certification in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing.

I was born in Vancouver, and grew up in White Rock. Right now I live in East Vancouver with my husband, our 7-monthold little boy, Sebastian, and cat, Fiona.

My attraction to nursing happened quite randomly, actually. I had a friend who was interested in UBC’s nursing program and was telling me about an upcoming information session. I was pursuing a degree in psychology at the time (I knew I wanted to work in a health-related discipline). I ended up attending the info session and getting accepted to the program, and I haven’t looked back.

I am inspired and motivated by the quality and impact of the work of my colleagues at UBC Nursing. This environment of excellence motivates me in my efforts to contribute to changing our world for the better.

I think it’s important not to allow other people to tell you what you are capable of. With hard work and dedication you can achieve your goals.

My best holiday was in South Africa. It was a bittersweet trip to celebrate the life of a dear friend who was terminally ill. The trip was a once in a lifetime experience with great friends who my husband and I consider to be an extension of our family.

Reading for fun??? Haven’t done that in a while, but I hope to again one day…