May 9, 2000
Dr. Bonnie Stevens named inaugural holder of first paediatric nursing research chair in Canada
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) announced another first today, with the appointment of Bonnie Stevens, RN, PhD, as inaugural holder of The Signy Hildur Eaton Chair in Paediatric Nursing Research. This is the first chair of its kind in Canada, where the focus is on nursing research and the focus group is made up of infants and children.
Dr. Stevens is a Senior Scientist in SickKids’ Research Institute and a Professor in the Faculties of Nursing and Medicine at the University of Toronto. The establishment of this chair allows Dr. Stevens, a leader in the field of pain research in infants and children, to continue to conduct patient-focused research on pain assessment and management in infants and children, while working to strengthen a nursing culture that values research-based practice. In addition, she will work with other researchers, clinicians and administrators, to assess the value of home care for infants and children with chronic illnesses.
While medical research has traditionally focused on survival rates and the severity of illness as clinical outcomes, nursing research is concerned more with the human response to illness and the impact of treatments on quality of life. This fits well with Dr. Stevens research, as she was among the first to come forward with research that infants and children feel pain. Prior to this discovery in the mid to late 1980’s, the vast majority of infants and children receiving ‘minor’ surgical procedures, such as circumcisions, were not given anesthetic.
Dr. Stevens work in this area soon became widely followed. "Dr. Stevens has an established reputation as a leader in the field of pain research in infants and children," said Dr. Alan Goldbloom, senior vice-president of Clinical and Academic Affairs at SickKids. "This is an incredibly important appointment as nursing research continues to grow and develop, and as we move forward and act on our vision of nursing care for the future."
The establishment of the chair was made possible through a generous philanthropic gift made by the Eaton family through The Eaton Foundation. Established in 1958 as a private charitable foundation, The Eaton Foundation has donated in excess of 30 million dollars throughout the last 30 years to thousands of charities in hundreds of communities all across Canada.
"This type of gift from the private sector sends a positive and important message about the future of paediatric nursing research," said Dianne Lister, President & C.E.O, The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation (HSCF). "The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation, through our national grants program, has been a leader in fostering and supporting academic training and research grants for nurses since the mid-1980’s. We see this gift as a means to continue the great work our nurses are doing."
The establishment of an endowed chair provides stable, long-term funding to the chair holder. In the case of a nursing research chair, it ensures that the research taking place at SickKids considers how treatments impact quality of life and how patients respond to illness - two important components of future wellness.
For more information, please contact:
Public Affairs
The Hospital for Sick Children
555 University Avenue
Suite 1742, Public Affairs, First floor Atrium
Toronto,
ON
M5G 1X8
Canada
Phone: 416-813-5058
Fax: 416-813-5328