Award Description
To support research into the practice of Nursing Practitioners (NP), this scholarship is awarded to applicants who are: Researching the practice of Nurse Practitioners in Canada (applicant does not need to be an NP), OR Nurse Practitioners pursuing graduate studies and conducting research focused on the role and/or domains of practice for Nurse Practitioners. Applicants must provide proof of approval from the REB.
Origin
This award is funded via a bequest received from the estate of Lynn Kirkwood.
Honoree Background
Lynn Kirkwood, a long-time faculty member at the School of Nursing, Queens University, left a bequest to RNFOO to support the role and practice of nurse practitioners.
In 1995, with the re-establishment of university programs to prepare nurse practitioners in Ontario, Lynn took on responsibility for developing and managing the nurse practitioner program of studies at Queens. She herself obtained primary health care from a nurse practitioner and often spoke highly of the quality of the care she received. With this background, she became a strong advocate for nurse practitioners playing a key role in improving access to primary health care services in Ontario.
Lynn was born in Montreal and raised in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and Port Colborne, Ontario. She was a graduate of the Toronto Western Hospital School of Nursing and obtained her bachelor’s degree in nursing from McGill University. She completed graduate studies at the Institute of Education, London, England, and obtained a PhD from the University of Toronto.
A dedicated teacher and academic, Lynn taught nursing at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and the Sick Children’s Hospital in London, England before taking up a faculty post in pediatric nursing at Queens University. Throughout her career, Lynn was also an active volunteer in activities focused on children.
A founding member of the Canadian Association of the History of Nursing (CAHN/ACHN, 1987), Lynn served as the organization’s first president. Her studies of nursing history helped illuminate the history of Canadian universities in creating educational pathways for nurses to obtain baccalaureate and graduate degrees as well as diplomas in fields such as public health.
Prepared by Alice Baumgart
March 2024
