Nurses Take the Initiative
November 13, 2018 – Enhancing Concurrent Disorder Care: Nurse Education Day
This intervention was developed through funding from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research from a BC Nursing Research Initiative funding competition. The project was co-lead by Dr Emily Jenkins and Dr Kofi Bonnie of Providence Health Care (PHC). The advisory committee included point-of-care nurses, nurse leaders, and patient partners. The event had 206 participants including students and nurses from inpatient mental health settings at PHC and Vancouver Coastal Health. Presenting at the event were: Mike Pond, a nurse and counselor with lived experience of alcohol use disorder; Dr Rupi Brar, a physician who spoke on the neurobiology of addiction and pharmacologic treatment for substance use disorders; Dr Heather Fulton, a Psychologist who spoke about brief psychological interventions for concurrent disorder clients; and Dr Gabor Maté, a retired physician who spoke about the psychosocial basis of addiction. A patient and family panel comprised of Nichola Hall, Anita David, Travis Shultz, and Kyle Warkentin shared lived experience insights for nurses working with concurrent disorder clients. Finally, Emma Garrod (MSN student) and Rachel Walker, who are both nurse educators in mental health and substance use, spoke about the nursing perspective on concurrent disorders. This study continues with the comparison of pre- and post-surveys to explore the impact of the intervention on nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding concurrent disorders and the patient populations who experience them.
March 29, 2018: A sub-committee of the “Sylvia” Think Tank submitted recommendations to BC’s Minister of Social Development & Poverty Reduction in a report entitled Interrupting the Cycle of Poverty to Improve Health.
L to R: Vera Radyo, Linc Kesler, Paddy Rodney, the Honourable Shane Simpson, Brenda Sawatsky-Girling, and Joan Anderson
For a copy of the report, visit nursing.ubc.ca/TouchpointsX
Faculty represented the school well at national events this year. Left: at the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) AGM in May are Thayanthini Tharmaratnam (Grad Academic Asst), Cathryn Jackson, Elsie Tan, Suzanne Campbell, Ranjit Dhari, Paddy Rodney, and Cheryl Segaric. Right: at the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) forum on September 13 are Vicky Bungay, Tarnia Taverner, Sally Thorne, Colleen Varcoe, Elizabeth Saewyc, and Jennifer Baumbusch.
September 2018, Roberta Price opens the inaugural Lecture of Nursing’s BSN core Indigenous health course: Promoting the Health of Indigenous People. The opening is juxtaposed with a snapshot of the last class of the term, held in the Grand Hall at the First Nations House of Learning on November 19, 2018.
November 19, 2018
The School of Nursing, represented by Elizabeth Saewyc, Director, in her capacity as Stigma And Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre’s Executive= Director, was invited to hear the Honourable Adrian Dix announce increased access to surgical treatment for trans and gender diverse people. SARAVYC’s research formed part of the materials that provided the impetus for this initiative.
