In the UBC MSN program, Priscilla’s thesis focused on pain and the culture and decision-making processes involved in nurses’ medicating practices. “I looked at post-operative delirium in cardiac surgery patients related to the PRN (a medical term meaning "as the situation arises") administration of analgesia and sedation in cardiac surgery ICU.” Her research has significant implications for cost, length of stay and prolonged cognitive impairment.

In the PhD program, she is evolving her work and looking at pain and the administration of analgesia. She believes that the disparities in pain management are not only a knowledge issue but also an issue of attitudes, values and beliefs. She is working with faculty member Tarnia Taverner, to conduct both qualitative and quantitative assessments of pain management.

Research has become Priscilla’s passion, she says, “My supervisor, Pam Ratner, has been unbelievable. I didn’t really realize what I was getting myself into when I proposed my thesis project. It’s become much larger than I ever anticipated, but she’s never once let me believe that it was too much or that I couldn’t succeed.”

While completing her PhD, Priscilla is working part-time in the emergency department at VGH. She has just received a Four Year Doctoral Fellowship from UBC. The fellowship, which is based on academic excellence and awarded upon the recommendation by the graduate program, will provide Priscilla with funding to cover both the costs of her tuition and that of her research.

“I’ve been really fortunate” she says. “It’s funny when you don’t really plan for things how they all just fall into place.”

Priscilla Taipale
MSN 2010, Current PhD Student

For her dissertation research Martha looked at sex differences in symptoms of myocardial ischemia. The study was presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Conference in 2009 and profiled by the Heart and Stroke Foundation. As a co-sponsor of the conference, Heart and Stroke created press releases from several of the abstracts. “They picked ours up,” says Martha. “And it just caught fire!”

“It’s about patients and symptoms, not some esoteric concept” says Martha. “It’s about what people feel when they have a heart attack.”

The scope of her research has led her to receive the clinical research fellowship award from CIHR, the student essay prize award at the 2009 International Philosophy of Nursing Society Conference and an appointment by the UBC School of Nursing as a clinical assistant professor, a new category aimed at people like Martha, who hold positions where a combined research and clinical focus is integral to their work.

“It’s all a bit new” says Martha (referring to her position), “and there isn’t much precedent for it in BC or in Canada, so what it looks like and how it will unfold is still a bit uncertain. In terms of research, I intend to continue looking at people’s behaviours around experiencing heart attacks and other behaviours related to cardiac risk factors.”

Martha Mackay
BSN 1986, MSN 1997, PhD 2010
Clinical Assistant Professor
UBC School of Nursing

Clinical Nurse Specialist
The Heart Centre , St. Paul's Hospital

Sherry Dahlke
Current PhD Student
Video Interview
Click HERE to view

"I believe that the researchers of the UBC School of Nursing represent one of the strongest groups of nurse researchers in the country. I owe them a great deal for pushing my thinking to achieve what I believe to be a quality dissertation research project. In my current role as a research associate, I am finding that the skills that I learned are invaluable in achieving a good research product."

Bev Temple
PhD 2006
Assistant Professor, University of Manitoba &
Research Associate, St. Amant