Heather Nelson RN, BScN, PhD, MA

Contact Info

Research interests

I am interested in health promotion in a variety of areas including; community dwelling older adults and children in sports.

I have been a Registered Nurse for over 20 years. Clinically I worked in public health and neurosciences. I have taught at Saskatchewan Polytechnic in the Continuing Care Assistant Program and the Practical Nursing Program. I have spent the last three years as a research chair completing patient-oriented health promotion research. This is my first year as a faculty member in the School of Nursing.

 

Scholarships

2021: Lucy D. Willis Scholarship $2,750 University of Saskatchewan

2021: Saskatchewan Nurses Foundation $1,500

2020: Wolfe Family Graduate Student Award. $3,000 University of Saskatchewan

2019: Saskatchewan Nurses Foundation Bursary $1,600

2006: Pan American Kumite Champion- Traditional karate

 

Recent Research Funding

Nelson, H., Ziefflie, B., Norton, D., Page, S., Jaeger, L., Press, M. (2022) Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.

$119,277.03 Establishment Grant

Examining the impact of a phone intervention on mood and loneliness in older adults living in personal care homes and assisted living facilities: A mixed methods study

 

Nelson, H., Langman, E., Ziefflie, B., Page, S., Hubbard Murdoch, N., Press, M. (2022) Social Sciences and Health Research Council.

$30,000 Knowledge Synthesis Grant: An Emerging Asocial Society

Increasing prosocial behaviour in community-dwelling older adults through phone visiting programs: A rapid systematic review

 

Nelson, H., Ziefflie, B., Page, S. Mayer, P. (2022) Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.

$7,500 Connections Grant

Life at 100 - A documentary of the life and hopes of centenarians in Saskatchewan

 

Nelson, H. (2019-2022) Research Chair. $150,000

Saskatchewan Centre for Patient Oriented Research

This grant is in support of patient-oriented research. I am currently involved in two patient-oriented research areas: 1) the benefits and barriers of sport for children from low-income settings, and 2) The impact of phone programs of mood and loneliness in older adults

 

Nelson, H. (2021) Saskatchewan Karate Association $4,000

The social and emotional benefits and barriers of traditional karate for children from low-income settings

 

Nelson, H. & Ziefflie, B. (2021) Saskatchewan Polytechnic Applied Research Program. $6,000

Saskatchewan Polytechnic.

The impact of the Canadian Red Cross Friendly Calls Program on mood and loneliness in older adults.

 

Nelson, H. & Ziefflie, B. (2021). School of Nursing Grant. $2,500

Saskatchewan Polytechnic

The impact of the Canadian Red Cross Friendly Calls Program on mood and loneliness in older adults.

 

Nelson, H. (2020-2021), STEP Grant. $2,500

Saskatchewan Centre for Patient Oriented Research

 

Hubbard Murdoch, N., Nelson, H., Boechler, L. Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.

$10,000 Rapid Response Funding

The experience of Covid-19 in Saskatchewan: The knowledge translation plan, Grant

 

Publications 

Refereed Articles, Papers, Books or Chapters

Nelson, H., Ziefflie, B., Page, S., Norton, D. & Mayer, P. (2022). The changing impact of COVID-19 on older adults during 2020. Canadian Journal on Aging. [submitted]

Nelson, H. Spurr, S. & Bally, J. (2022). The benefits and barriers of sport for children from low-income settings: An integrative review. Sage Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221087272

Mayer, P., Nelson, H. Ziefflie, B., Page, S. & Norton, D. (2022). Phone visiting as a novel clinical experience for healthcare students during COVID-19 and beyond. Journal of Innovation in Polytechnic Education. https://jipe.ca/index.php/jipe/article/view/102/55

Nelson, H., Ziefflie, B., Norton, D., Page, S., Unique, R., & Mayer, P. (2022). The Lived Experience of Seniors Socially Distancing during the Early Stages of the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study. Canadian Journal on Aging. https://www.doi.org/10.1017/S0714980821000581

Nelson, H., Hubbard Murdoch, N., Norman, K. (2020). The Role of Uncertainty in the Experiences of Nurses During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research. DOI: 10.1177/0844562121992202

Cox-White, T., Ziefflie, B., Nelson, H.J. (2019). Promoting Indigenous Nursing Student Success in Post-Secondary Education: A Phenomenological study. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice. 9(10): 1-6. http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v9n10p101

Nelson, H., Cox-White, T., Ziefflie, B. (2019). Indigenous Students Barriers and Success Strategies- A Review of Existing Literature. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice 2019 9(3). http://jnep.scie.dupress.com.

 

Non-Refereed Articles, Papers, Books or Chapters

Boechler, L., Hubbard Murdoch, N., & Nelson, H. (2020). Interprofessional reflections:Pandemic duty to care. Canadian Paramedicine, 44(2), 50-51. https://canadianparamedicine.ca/featured-edition/

Nelson, H., Boechler, L., Hubbard Murdoch, N. (2020). Researching at High-Speed: Recording the Story of the Covid-19 Experience. Antistasis. 10(3)

 

Conference Presentations and Invited Academic Lectures

Nelson, H. (2022 January 26). The social and emotional benefits and barriers of traditional karate for children from low-income settings. NURS 990 Seminar [virtual] University of Saskatchewan

Wickson-Griffiths, A., Hunter, P., Nelson, H., Hubbard Murdoch, N. (2021, November 2-3). We hear you: Saskatchewan Healthcare employees’ experiences of work during a pandemic [Poster presentation]. Summit 2021. Saskatoon, SK.  

Hubbard Murdoch, N., Nelson, H., Hunter, P., Wickson-Griffiths, A. (2021, November 2-3). We hear you: Mobilizing knowledge about the experience of healthcare employees during the COVID-19 pandemic [Poster presentation]. Summit 2021. Saskatoon, SK.

Ziefflie, B. & Nelson, H. (2021, October). Balancing older adults’ physical safety with social and emotional needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Canadian Association of Gerontology Conference, Virtual

Nelson, H. & Hubbard Murdoch, N. (2021, October). The experience of nurses working with older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. In. S. Kaasalainen (Chair). An inside look at Canadian healthcare employees’ experience of the COVID-19 pandemic [Symposium]. Canadian Association of Gerontology Conference 2021, Virtual.

Nelson, H., & Hubbard Murdoch, N. (2021, November 18-19). The experience of nurses working with older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic [Poster presentation]. Saskatchewan Health Research Showcase 2021.  

Ziefflie, B., Norton, D., Mayer, P., Page, S. & Nelson, H. (2021, November 18-19). Balancing older adults’ physical safety with social and emotional needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. [poster presentation]. Saskatchewan Health Research Showcase.

Wickson-Griffiths, A., Hunter, P., Nelson, H., Hubbard Murdoch, N. (2021, November 16 & 18). We hear you: Saskatchewan Healthcare employees’ experiences of work during a pandemic [Poster presentation]. Saskatchewan Health Research Showcase 2021, Virtual. 

Hubbard Murdoch, N., Nelson, H., Hunter, P., Wickson-Griffiths, A. (2021, November 16 & 18). We hear you: Mobilizing knowledge about the experience of healthcare employees during the COVID-19 pandemic [Poster presentation]. Saskatchewan Health Research Showcase 2021, Virtual.

 

Current Research

The social and emotional benefits and barriers of traditional karate for children from low-income settings

 The impact of phone visiting programs on loneliness and mood in older adults.

 

In the News ─ Commentary and Columns

Nelson, H. (2021, September 14). Nurses experience of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic.

            Saskatoon Morning. CBC Radio, Leisha Grebinski

Nelson, H. (2021, September). Nurses experience of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic.

            The morning edition. CBC Regina. Stefani Langenegger

Nelson, H. (2020, November 10). The experience of senior socially isolating during the COVID19

            pandemic. Blue Sky. CBC Radio, Garth Materie

Nelson, H. (2020, October) The lived experience of Seniors socially isolating during the Covid-19

              pandemic, News Broadcast, CJWW Radio, Brad Jennings

Nelson, H. (2020, October) The lived experience of seniors socially isolating during the Covid-19

              pandemic., News, 620 CKRM, Mitchell Blair