A passion for nursing research in paediatric palliative care brought Dr. Kimberley Widger to Bloomberg Nursing in 2006 to begin her PhD. She has coupled that passion for growing this new and burgeoning field with a commitment to teaching our future nurse leaders. In January 2013, Dr. Widger joins the Faculty as an assistant professor and brings a wealth of clinical and research knowledge to the position.
“It’s exciting to be part of an internationally renowned faculty,” said Dr. Widger. “I hope to continue my work in palliative care, have the chance to teach this growing area of nursing to students in all program levels, and to expand this field nationally and internationally through my research.”
A native of Saskatchewan, Dr. Widger now brings valuable nursing experiences from hospitals across Canada, and in the United States, to the classroom. Always involved clinically with children managing life-threatening illnesses and their families, Dr. Widger’s interests grew into the desire to conduct research in this field. Her PhD work included examining parents’ perspectives on the quality of end-of-life care provided to their children. This research serves as an important step towards ensuring all children and families receive the best possible care wherever they may be receiving it, and to make sure that staff are properly supported to provide that level of care.
A track-record of excellence for her research brought Dr. Widger numerous awards while a PhD student and during her post-doctoral CIHR fellowship “Development of a knowledge translation strategy for enhancement of pediatric end-of-life pain management.” Adding this drive and dedication to her role at Bloomberg Nursing, she will begin by developing the undergraduate research course in an online format, writing grants, and then teaching in the spring.
“Throughout my career I have seen the critical role that nurses play in the health care system, as clinicians, researchers, and administrators, both as part of a team and as leaders, ,” said Dr. Widger. “I want to continue my commitment to nursing by helping to create new leaders in health care. I know that Bloomberg Nursing is the best possible place to achieve that goal.”