Message from the Dean’s
This is Nursing in Action – addressing inequitable health care access around the world
Robyn Stremler, Dean and Professor
Nurses are no strangers to the increasing challenges that face many patient populations today, including securing timely access to health care, both here in Canada and around the world. As leaders in nursing science, Faculty and students at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing are illustrating the profound impact of critical nursing perspectives in research that aim to ensure equitable access to health care for all.
Rigorous scholarship and critical inquiry, alongside interdisciplinary collaboration and advocacy for social justice, are some of the fundamental values of our Faculty, and they are reflected in the ongoing and ground-breaking work undertaken by Bloomberg Nursing researchers as they explore co-designed and innovative solutions to improve lives across health care systems.
In addition to understanding the impact of barriers to care access, including poor health outcomes and diminished quality of life for various patient groups such as racialized women, children with chronic disease, and migrant populations, Bloomberg Nursing researchers are also seeking new ways to transform care access through policy interventions, improvements in education, and advanced digital solutions.
You will find in our 2022- 2024 Research Report, featured research that actively seeks to address inequity in health care and barriers to health care access. This important work includes a pan-Canadian project aimed at addressing the continued prevalence of tuberculosis in some of our most vulnerable populations, including migrants and refugees. Other highlighted projects include the implementation of digital interventions to improve pain in children with Sickle Cell disease, and research that evaluates improvements in access to genetic testing for individuals with hereditary breast cancer.
Our leadership as a powerhouse of nursing research is evident in our ranking as Canada’s number one school of nursing, and through our more than a century of nursing excellence in education, research and practice. Within this report you will also see our commitment to increasing access to research opportunities for emerging scholars across our educational programs.
We remain at the forefront of nursing scientific research and through our interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts we continue to foster improvements in patient care and health outcomes, as we reshape the future of health care for everyone.
Kelly Metcalfe, Associate Dean Research & External Relations
At the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, our ground-breaking and collaborative research is driven by an overarching need to facilitate equitable access to care across health care systems and ensure the best possible care outcomes for the populations we serve.
At Bloomberg Nursing, our commitment to this goal, and our focus on improving care for equity deserving groups, is indicative not only of our values pertaining to social justice, but also our motivation to build inclusive and sustainable societies as we push the future of nursing science forward.
Over the past two years health care systems worldwide have grappled with a shortage of health care workers bringing to light the gaps in care provision, barriers to access, and the systemic inequity pervading health care systems today.
In our 2022-2024 Research Report, we highlight the innovative research being conducted that demonstrates a focus on equitable care access and led by faculty members and students, both here in Canada and around the world. Each of our researchers brings their expertise in areas of health policy, cardiovascular research, genetic testing, and more to create new interventions and transformative policies that will change health care for the better in a shifting global landscape.
Nurses are uniquely positioned to lead in advancing equity in health care through our research. As primary care providers we often witness when health systems fail, which is why so many of us are driven to find tangible solutions to improve people’s lives at the point of care; from improving breast cancer diagnostic services for women in Rwanda, to working with patient partners in Indigenous communities to co-design culturally informed care solutions.
As you will see in our report, our researchers demonstrate the incredible value of nursing perspectives in research and its impact on patient outcomes and care delivery, signaling our role as leaders in reshaping the future of health care.