荔枝视频

To say former U荔枝视频 Nursing professor, Dr. Lorraine Wright was surprised when she got the call from the Governor General鈥檚 Office this past June is an understatement. 

鈥淚 thought 鈥業 don't know anybody in the Governor General's office,鈥� and then she told me the news and I was stunned,鈥� Wright told Nahlah Ayed of CBC Radio鈥檚 The Current on July 1st. 鈥淪uch an incredible honour.鈥� 

The honour that left Wright stunned was that she has been awarded the Order of Canada for her 鈥渓eadership and contribution to the field of family nursing in Canada and around the world.鈥� Wright is a pioneer in this area, one that most people today would think has always been part of the consideration when looking at a patient鈥檚 diagnosis and health-care plan.  But, as Wright points out, for a long time in nursing, the focus was primarily on the individual. The more she engaged in clinical practice with families in various countries, she realized illness suffering is universal and how one copes with illness is influenced by how the family responds to the illness. As well, often the one suffering the most in the family was not the person with the diagnosis, but someone else in the family. 

In 1982, Wright established the Family Nursing Unit (FNU) within U荔枝视频 Nursing, a unique outpatient clinic for the treatment and study of families suffering with serious illness, and served as its director for over 20 years. She taught family nursing courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level as a means for the discipline to embrace working with families; the clinic became a place for students to observe her clinical work with families and for Wright to supervise them as they counselled families themselves and developed the particular clinical skills and knowledge necessary to soften illness suffering.  

鈥淥ver the years, we started to get more requests of people wanting to come and visit our clinic,鈥� Wright explained to Ayed. 鈥淎nd there were so many requests that we started offering what we called a Family Nursing Externship once a year, where people came from around the world to learn about our work. And it was quite thrilling and an honour that they would do that. Next the invitations started coming for me to lecture and do workshops in various parts of the world. Incredible. So off I went. And that's what I've been doing for the last 20 years 鈥� trying to spread family nursing globally.鈥� 

U荔枝视频 Nursing professor Dr. Nancy Moules worked under the tutelage and mentorship of Wright鈥痶hroughout her master鈥檚 and PhD degrees and so was directly influenced by what she calls Wright鈥檚 鈥渋nfluential, remarkable and masterful personal and clinical skills. 

鈥淟orraine is truly a visionary and a benevolent teacher; she is compassionate, intelligent, self-sacrificing and caring of others,鈥� explains Moules, who went on to teach alongside her until Wright retired from the University (but not her career).

鈥淪he makes everyone in her presence feel acknowledged, accepted and as though they matter.鈥疉nd they do matter to her. I have never met a person who cares as completely about the interests of others and will do anything within her power to make a difference in the lives and suffering of others.鈥� 

Moules, together with Associate Professor Emerita Dr. Janice Bell, Dr. Fabie Duhamel and Anne Marie Levac supported the nomination which Dr. Maureen Leahey submitted in 2019. Bell was also the impetus behind the establishment of a scholarship in Family Nursing in Wright鈥檚 name. 

Wright has authored more than 60 articles and book chapters, co-authored two books; co-edited four books and solo authored two books. She has currently visited 82 countries and has given over 300 presentations at national and international nursing, family health and family therapy conferences.  

What鈥檚 left for Wright to accomplish now that she has received Canada鈥檚 top civilian recognition? 鈥淲ell, I have visited鈥�82 countries and my goal is to visit鈥�100 to learn more about illness suffering, illness beliefs and families and offer that knowledge to my health-care professional colleagues,鈥� she said to Aya. 鈥淪o I鈥檝e got to keep moving; I鈥檝e got to keep going.鈥� 

The Order of Canada represents outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. Since the creation of the Order in 1967, more than 6,000 deserving people have been appointed all with varying backgrounds: Wright鈥檚 is the first for U荔枝视频 Faculty of Nursing.