TouchPoints

Cardiovascular Nursing Research and Education Ninety percent of Canadians have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and it is one of the leading causes of death and hospitalization for Canadians. Preliminary studies have shown that nurses with specialized knowledge and skill in the care of cardiovascular patients have a tremendous impact on patient outcomes across the continuum of care. How much more could we improve the quality of life for all Canadians if we could enhance high standards of practice for cardiovascular nursing, and then ensure all nursing…read more

A Year Can Change Everything The School of Nursing is once again leading the way in its educational programmes. On January 4th we welcomed the first cohort of students into the new Master’s of Health Leadership and Policy in Seniors Care (MHLP Seniors Care) Programme. The goal of this one year graduate degree is to educate leaders in the provision of care to Seniors in order to respond to shifting demographic trends. Seniors are expected to account for nearly one-quarter of British Columbia’s population by 2036, and the proportion of…read more

New Online Support Tool for Victims of Partner Violence Nursing researcher Dr Colleen Varcoe and her team are testing a new, online support tool for Canadian women affected by partner violence. When you’re at the receiving end of partner abuse, it can be tough knowing exactly what to do or how to turn the situation around. A new online tool for women, co-developed by UBC researcher and professor Colleen Varcoe of the School of Nursing, hopes to change that. When a woman visits the iCan Plan 4 Safety website, a…read more

Engaging Adults with Dementia Dr Alison Phinney wants to better understand what it is like to be living with dementia. Since her early years in nursing, she has been reaching out in unique ways to help older adults successfully cope with the consequences of aging and disease. Now, through her research at UBC, her goal is to find ways to help those experiencing dementia continue to be engaged in life. “It’s distressingly easy for someone with dementia to stop being active in their community and lose their sense of well-being,”…read more

Plaque Celebrates Contributions to Nursing On February 10, 2015, more than 40 guests gathered at Cecil Green Park House to honour the naming of Ethel Johns (1879-1968), the first Director of the UBC School of Nursing, as a Person of National Historic Significance by the Government of Canada. The focal point of the ceremony was a large, bronze plaque, which details the historic significance of Johns’ contributions to the development of professional nursing in British Columbia, nationally and internationally. “Ethel Johns was an extraordinary woman, a nursing leader who fought…read more