Sad news re: Dr. Sharon Simpson, Kamloops BC

Sharon Simpson, RN, BSN, MSc, EdD, died December 25, 2013, in hospice in Kamloops after a valiant fight with cancer.

A long-time member of the BC History of Nursing Society, she was co-author, with Karen Abbott, of Traditions and Transitions, a definitive history of the Nursing program at Thompson Rivers University (formerly Cariboo College).  A professor emeritus at Thompson Rivers University, she graduated from a diploma nursing program at the Prince Edward Island Hospital, received her post-RN nursing degree at the University of British Columbia and a masters degree at University of Portland. This past fall, she completed her doctorate at Simon Fraser University.

Celebration of life will be held in Kamloops Jan 4, 2014 at 1pm

Successful Consortium held at UBC

Laurie Meijer Drees & Sonya GrypmaThe first Consortium for Historical Inquiry in Nursing and Health Care, organized by Dr.Geertje Boschma, with generous support from patron & Associate Professor Emerita Helen Shore, proved a very successful event Thurs. Nov 21,2013.

Dr.Sonya Grypma presented on her new book “China Interrupted – Japanese internment and the reshaping of a Canadian missionary community”, and Laurie Meijer Drees presented on her new book “Healing histories: Stories from Canada’s Indian hospitals”  Geertje opened the event with “Historical nursing knowledge: why we need it”.

PhD Student Poster Award Winners: 

  • Catherine Haney: “Considering Oral History: Methodological questions & reflections”
  • Helen Vandenberg: “From Methodist Mission to Modern Hospital: The History of Steveston’s Japanese Hospital:1895-1942”
  • Jennifer Stephens: “Transforming Maggie May to Miss Pu: Neoculturalism Through Missionary Nursing in North China, 1924-1943”

Special Thanks to Joan Andrews, CRNBC Library Manager

Joan Andrews, The Helen Randal Library Manager at the CRNBC, was recently thanked for her wonderful  support for the work of the”BC History of Nursing Society” over the years.

Photo credit: BCHNS

In thanking her, Kathy Murphy  stated  some interesting information about the library:  It is Canada’s largest full service specialty nursing practice library. It has books, e-books, e-journals, audiovisual resources, online resources, and helpful librarians. There are over 16,000 uses with 68% from the lower mainland and 32% from all over BC who receive requested books mailed for free.

Verna Splane receives Honourary Life Membership to ARNBC

The ARNBC Board presented Verna with an ARNBC Honorary Life Membership at a small ceremony at her home on April 27th 2013.

Verna was in good form and it was a lovely opportunity to pay tribute to her contributions to the profession and to acknowledge her great support of ARNBC during our founding years.
She is our first Honorary Life Member.

 

Nina Rumen Award Now Offered

This new award, created to recognize nurses who have made a difference in patient-centered care, has been  generously funded by Nina Rumen.

The award of $5,000 will provide financial assistance to a nursing student in a Doctoral Program in Nursing or Nursing related studies. The application form can be found on the Resources Page and then click on “Student Resources” of this BC History of Nursing website.

The deadline for submission of the application is November 15, 2013.