University of Alberta professor profiled

Shirley Stinson, a retired registered nurse and former nursing professor at the University of Alberta, was featured in the Oct. 2 issue of Folio, a University of Alberta publication.

Stinson received her bachelor's degree in nursing from the U of A in 1953, then worked as a public health nurse in rural Alberta. In 1958, she received her master's degree in nursing service administration from the University of Minnesota, and in 1969, her doctorate in nursing education from Columbia University. Stinson then returned to the U of A, and became the first RN west of Winnipeg to hold a doctorate.

Stinson is best known for her contributions to nursing research in Alberta. She was the instigator and first chair of the Alberta Foundation for Nursing Research (AFNR). In the late 1970s, she successfully lobbied for a $ 1-million foundation from the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.

"Stinson encouraged people to see nursing as both a significant practice and a legitimate field of research, not merely a service secondary to medicine," writes Focus writer Geoff McMaster. Under her leadership, the U of A launched a nursing master's program in 1975 and a doctoral program in 1991.

According to many of her colleagues, Stinson's most impressive talent is her ability to interact with others on an international scale. At a time when no solid international nursing network existed, Stinson organized the first International Nursing Research Conference in North America. It was held in Edmonton in 1986 and hosted more than 700 registrants from 38 countries.

In 1990, Stinson was honored with the Jeanne Mance Award, considered by many to be the highest award for registered nurses in Canada. It is awarded to an RN who has made a significant and innovative contribution to health care services and whose activities at the national and international level have resulted in increased status and public recognition of the nursing profession. Retired for five years, Stinson remains an active volunteer. Her latest cause is the prevention of heart attacks and strokes through blood pressure assessment.

Copyright Alberta Association of Registered Nurses Nov/Dec 1998
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