Kimberley D. Ryan-Nicholls

RPN, RN, BScN, MDE, PhD (candidate)
Associate Professor – Psychiatric Nursing

Kimberley’s experience as a psychiatric nurse educator spans two decades.  In addition to being as Associate Professor at Brandon University, she is also an evening supervisor at the Brandon Regional Health Centre and a full-time doctoral nursing student at the University of Calgary.

Besides being a Co-Applicant of a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) project in receipt of 1.5 million over 5 years (current in 2nd yr of study) funded to investigate knowledge translation pathways of mental health treatment for young adults, Kimberley is also a Co-Applicant on a CIHR funded project in receipt of $15,000.00 for Partnerships for Health System Improvement (PHSI) to support research entitled Strengthening mental health services in primary care: Using Web technologist which was submitted to the Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant: PHSI-MPDI Competition.  Plans are currently underway for grant application submission to support Equine Assisted Therapy research.

Valuing current clinical competency, Kimberley has actively engaged, for the past decade, in direct clinical practice on the Acute Inpatient Adult Psychiatric and Psychogeriatic units as well as at Rideau Park Personal Care Facility.  Although her true passion is engaging in partnerships with consumers of mental health, Kimberley recently shifted her focus from direct patient care to an administrative role by becoming a part time evening supervisor of the entire Brandon Regional Health Centre.  Kimberley has been enjoying this both challenging and rewarding administrative role since Spring 2009.

As a full-time doctoral nursing student Kimberley is particularly interested in conducting research that will be of benefit to psychiatric nursing education, the profession of psychiatric nursing, the Faculty of Health Studies, and Brandon University.  Therefore, her doctoral research topic is The Criteria for Determining the Content Needed in Effective Graduate Psychiatric Nursing Education.  Grants secured in support of her doctoral research included $5000.00 from the Manitoba Health Research Council (MHRC), $2375.00 from Western Region Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (WRCASN) and $500.00 from Registered Psychiatric Nurses Foundation (RPNF).  Kimberley is anticipating completion of the PhD in late 2011.

Recent refereed publications include:

 Haggarty, J., Ryan-Nicholls, K. D. & Java, J.A. (2010). Mental health collaborative care: A synopsis of the Rural and Isolated Toolkit. Rural and Remote Health 10 (online) no. 1314 Available from http://rrh.deakin.edu.au.

Ryan-Nicholls, K. D. & Will, C.I. (2009). Rigour in qualitative research: Mechanisms for control. Nurse Researcher.16 (3), 70-85.

Ryan-Nicholls, K. D. & Haggarty, J.(2007). Collaborative Mental Health Care in Rural and Isolated Canada: Stakeholder Feedback. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services. 45 (12), 37-45.

Ryan-Nicholls, K. D. (2005). Limited clinical site availability, outstanding mental health needs and barriers to faculty practice: A proposal for resolution. Nurse Education in Practice. 5 (3), 172-179.

Ryan-Nicholls, K.D. (2004). The impact of health reform on psychiatric nursing practice.  Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. 11 (6), 644-653.

Ryan-Nicholls, K.D. (2004). Preceptor recruitment and retention. Canadian Nurse. 100 (6) 19 – 22.

 Ryan-Nicholls, K.D. (2004). Rural Canadian community health and quality of life: Testing a workbook to determine priorities and move to action. Rural and Remote Health 4 (online) no. 248 Available from http://rrh.deakin.edu.au.

 Ryan-Nicholls, K.D. (2004). Health and sustainability of rural communities. Rural and Remote Health. 4 (online) no. 242 Available from http://rrh.deakin.edu.au.

 Ryan-Nicholls, K.D. & Racher, F. E. (2004). Investigating the health of rural communities: Toward framework development. Rural and Remote Health 4 (online) no. 244 Available from http://rrh.deakin.edu.au.

Ryan-Nicholls, K.D., Racher, F., & Robinson, R. (2003). Providers’ perceptions of how rural consumers access and use mental health services. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services. 41 (6) 34-43

Ryan-Nicholls, K.D. (2003). Educational needs of registered psychiatric nurses for continuing competency. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing. 34 (5) 218-225

 Ryan-Nicholls, K. D. (2001). Interactive instructional television (IITV) classroom system design. Quarterly Review of Distance Education. 2 (3) 265-274.

Ryan-Nicholls, K. D. (2001). Why choose interactive instructional television (IITV) as an instructional technology? Quarterly Review of Distance Education. 2 (4) 367-375.

Kimberley has published research findings in refereed articles and/or conference proceedings: 12 are peer reviewed; five are multi-authored book chapters; and 27 were at international and national conferences.

Kimberley’s research interests include: psychiatric nursing education, curriculum development, ongoing continuing competency, distance education, health of rural populations, mental health consumer empowerment, equine assisted therapy, and health care intuition organization and administration.