Director of Trent-Fleming School of Nursing Honoured with Prestigious National Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dr. Dauna Crooks Presented with Award for Excellence in Oncology Nursing Research at International Nursing Conference in Toronto on September 30

Monday, October 2, 2006, Peterborough

On Saturday, September 30 at the 14th Annual International Conference for Cancer Nursing held at the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, Dr. Dauna Crooks, Director of the Trent-Fleming School of Nursing, was presented with the prestigious Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO)/Pfizer Research Award of Excellence.

The national research award of excellence is one of a series of awards given out by CANO on an annual basis to recognize the outstanding of achievements of Canadian oncology nurses. As a recipient of the award, Dr. Crooks received a $1,000 honorarium and a plaque. The winners are nominated by their colleagues from across the country.

“It was extremely emotionally powerful,” Dr. Crooks said in describing how she felt receiving the award in front of 1,500 of her colleagues at the conference. “It was like going back in time and connecting with people across my professional lifespan.”

Dr. Crook’s received her Bachelor of Nursing Science at the University of Toronto, her Masters in Nursing Science at the University of Western Ontario, and her Doctorate in Nursing Science (DNSc) at the State University of New York. She has held clinical appointments in oncology nursing in Hamilton, Ontario where she was jointly appointed with the Juravinski Cancer Centre and McMaster University. She has also held an Investigator position in the Supportive Care Research Unit at the Hamilton Regional Cancer Centre for several years, and during and after that time developed her research agenda in oncology nursing.

In addition to her role as the Director of the Trent-Fleming collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program, Dr. Crooks holds academic appointments at McMaster University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Nursing.
Dr. Crook’s is a specialist in qualitative research methodology, a branch of research that aims to understand cancer and the effects of the disease from the unique perspectives of patients and their families. Throughout her career she has been instrumental in fostering strong links with interdisciplinary colleagues, which have led to comprehensive research proposals that have received substantial research funding awards from provincial and national bodies. She has also played a vital role in setting the standards for oncology nursing research publications as an Associate Editor of the Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal. In addition, Dr. Crooks has been an active reviewer for many organizations that fund research initiatives, including the National Cancer Institute and the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation. She is also the author and co-author of numerous published scientific papers, abstracts and conference proceedings, book chapters, and educational manuals.

“This award attests to Dauna's remarkable contribution to research and evidence-based practice in cancer care, the standards she has set for high level publications in oncology manuscripts, her influence in developing national and international initiatives and partnerships, and the outstanding amount of funding she has garnered in mounting interprofessional research projects, among other major contributions to the nursing profession generally and oncology nursing specifically,” said Esther Green, one of Dr. Crook’s nominators and the Ontario Provincial Head of Nursing and Psychosocial Oncology.

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For more information, please contact:
Dr. Dauna Crooks, Director, Trent-Fleming School of Nursing, (705) 748-1011 x7335.