TouchPoints

Vivian Lucas Scholarship in Acute Care Nursing “When it comes to taxes and the government, you can give voluntarily or involuntarily,” states UBC alumna Vivian Lucas. Born in Winnipeg, Vivian moved to British Columbia with her family when she was three years old. “I was raised in Burnaby. My father was an engineer, but my mother only had a grade eight education, so she was really interested in anything I wanted to do academically. I always appreciated my parents for letting me do what I wanted by way of education.”…read more

May 7, 2015 The School of Nursing was part of an historic, auspicious occasion when it was the first group ever to hold an event in the brand new Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre in May 2015. Nearly 150 guests attended the School of Nursing’s fourth annual Alumni and Partnership Awards Gala celebration at the brand new, 3,870 square meter venue located in heart of the Point Grey Campus. More photographs of our event can be seen on our Flickr page. Award Recipients for 2015 Young Alumni Award | Gillian…read more

Nurses’ Roles in Health Information Technology: A Canadian Perspective Some proponents of tech solutions can be accused of wideeyed boosterism, but not Dr. Robyn Tamblyn, a nurse and McGill University professor. She is the first to point out that digital healthcare technologies can be a quick way to blow a lot of cash, which is all the more reason for a focused, evidence-based approach to specific problems facing 21st century healthcare. On October 15, Dr. Tamblyn, the 2015 Marion Woodward Lecture speaker, shared a thoughtful survey of the multiple points…read more

Nurse, Musician, Community Advocate, Mother Inez Jasper originally came to UBC to study science on her way to a career as a doctor. “I saw the need in my community,” she said, “And I thought being a physician would have a really positive impact.” But over the course of her studies, she changed her mind and applied to the School of Nursing. “It made more sense for me and my personality, as well as the type of care I wanted to offer.” She graduated with her BSN in 2006. The…read more

Master of Nursing-Nurse Practitioner Graduate From a small Ugandan village, to Nanaimo, BC, Caitlin Ritchie’s career has already come full circle. After graduating with a BScN in nursing from Trent University in 2007, Caitlin spent eight months in Uganda working in community health and HIV education. That experience would inform many of her future choices. “I always planned on becoming a nurse practitioner,” says Caitlin who follows in the footsteps of her mother, a nurse practitioner in Ontario. “Nurse practitioners are excellent at providing care for the marginalized, socially complex…read more

Master of Science in Nursing Graduate Annie Lau calls herself a true testament to lifelong learning. Indeed, more than 20 years after graduating with her BScN from UBC, she returned to the School of Nursing on a quest for more knowledge. With her BScN, Annie worked in a variety of nursing roles, from oncology and acute care, to public health. While she was accepted to the Masters program in 1990, the timing wasn’t right to pursue another degree. “Life is about all the planets being lined up,” she says of…read more

PhD in Nursing Graduate Sherry Dahlke always had her sights set on nursing education. Born in Saskatchewan, she pursued basic qualifications in both nursing and adult education. It wasn’t until 2000 that she found her true focus and passion. While working on her BScN at the University of Victoria, she observed a lack of understanding of how to manage care for older adults. With an aging population, more and more older adults need care from healthcare professionals not used to treating this demographic. “Hospitalized older adults are at risk for…read more