Shirley Marie Stinson

For other possible meanings see Stinson (disambiguation)

Dr. Shirley Marie Stinson (December 10, 1929 – June 4, 2020) known as the "Canadian architect of nursing research" was a Canadian nursing leader who made major contributions to nursing graduate education in Alberta and nursing research internationally. She was the first Alberta nurse to earn a doctorate degree, and the first woman and first nurse to receive the Canadian federal title of "Senior Health Research Scientist". She was President of the Canadian Nurses Association, served in an advisory role to the World Health Organization, received three honorary doctoral degrees, and was awarded title of Officer of the Order of Canada in 2001.

Early life

Shirley Marie Stinson was born on December 10, 1929 in Arlee, Saskatchewan, Canada to parents Edwin and Mary (Ismond) Stinson. She was the second of three children in the family. The family moved to Tofield, Alberta, Canada in 1935, and Alberta became her home province from then on. As a teenager in Tofield in the 1940s, she dreamed of becoming an architect like her idol Frank Lloyd Wright. Even though her career took a different path into nursing, she had a mind for design and later became known as the "architect of nursing research in Canada".

Education

Shirley Stinson received a BSc in Nursing from the University of Alberta in 1953, a Masters in Nursing Service Administration from the University of Minnesota in 1958, and a Doctorate in Higher Education in Nursing from Columbia University in 1969. She was the first nurse in Alberta to hold a doctorate.

Career

In her early career, Stinson worked as a public health staff nurse in Alberta. She became a faculty member of the University of Alberta's Faculty of Nursing in 1969 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She was the first nurse to hold a faculty position at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Nursing. Her leadership led to the establishment of the first Master of Nursing program in Western Canada and the first Doctoral Nursing program in Canada, both at the University of Alberta in 1975 and 1991, respectively. She was an advocate for nursing research, and was the first to obtain funding for nursing research in the Western World with $1 million being awarded from the Alberta Government. She helped to establish the Alberta Foundation for Nursing Research in 1982. She was an organizer of the first International Nursing Research Conference. She worked to improve nursing policies and practices around the world. She served as Chair of the Alberta Foundation for Nursing and President of the Canadian Nursing Association.  She was a consultant/advisor globally to several organizations, including the World Health Organization, the Pan American World Health Organization, and the Columbian Nurses Association. She authored over 150 publications.

Death

Dr. Shirley Stinson passed away on June 4, 2020 at the age of 90 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from complications due to Parkinson's Disease. The impact of her work continues to enhance the field of nursing.

Honours, awards and distinctions

Dr. Shirley Stinson received many honours, awards, and distinctions.:

• First woman and first nurse to receive the Canadian federal title of "Senior Health Research Scientist"
• First Alberta nurse to earn a doctorate degree
• Granted an Honorary Doctor of Law from the University of Calgary
• Granted an Honorary Doctor of Science from Memorial University
• Granted an Honorary Doctor of Sacred Letters from St. Stephens College at the University of Alberta
• Received the title of Officer of the Order of Canada
• Recipient of the Jeanne Mance Award from the Canadian Nurses Association and the Ross Award in Nursing Leadership from the Canadian Nurses Foundation (the two highest nursing awards in Canada)
• Inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence
• Recipient of the Canada Centennial Medal
• Recipient of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal
• Inducted into the Columbia University Nursing Hall of Fame