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Jennifer Kryworuchko – In Memoriam

The School of Nursing community — and UBC more broadly — are deeply saddened to share the news that our dear colleague, Associate Professor Jennifer Kryworuchko, passed away Friday, October 25. Despite undergoing treatment for cancer for the last several years, Jennifer’s passing was, for many of us, unexpected. Comforted and supported by her family including husband, Marko Kryworuchko, and children, Kalyna, Maksym, Jakob and Hannah, Jennifer died peacefully.

“Just Do It! 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 focus on something a little different and commit to it.”
– Jennifer Kryworuchko

Those of us who knew and worked with Jennifer feel a great loss: we admired her passionate dedication to nursing practice, her joy in educating nursing students, and her scholarship to improve nursing care, especially in the context of shared decision-making between patients and health professionals. Jennifer was born and raised in Ottawa, and forged a rich history and career in nursing, receiving her BScN degree, Graduate Diploma in Health Services and Policy Research, and PhD from the University of Ottawa. She was licensed as a registered nurse in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia, and held certification in Critical Care Nursing through the Canadian Nurses Association. She served in the Canadian Forces, Department of National Defense for eight years, and worked as a nurse in the Ottawa Hospital Intensive Care Unit. As an Assistant Professor at the University of Saskatchewan, she served as Interim Graduate Chair, managing major revisions of the Master of Science, Nurse Practitioner, and PhD programs, before joining UBC as an Associate Professor in 2015. Jennifer worked with us in the UBC School of Nursing for almost five years, all too short a time, and she was a deeply valued member of our community, generously sharing her expertise with students and colleagues. Our thoughts are with her family at this time. Jennifer’s family would welcome and appreciate charitable donations to the UBC School of Nursing in her memory.