News Stories
VIU professor using patient-oriented approach to medical assistance in dying research
December 12, 2023
Dr. Caroline Variath received a Michael Smith Health Research BC award for her work. Vancouver Island University (VIU) Nursing Professor Dr. Caroline Variath is researching ways to enhance awareness of and access to end-of-life care for patients. Medical assistance in dying (MAID) has been legal in Canada since 2016. The law was revised in 2021 and removes the requirement for a person’s natural... Read more
VIU Receives Funding to Expand Nursing Seats
February 22, 2022
Expansion addresses community need for more nurses Vancouver Island University (VIU) is expanding the number of nursing seats in three programs, thanks to provincial government funding announced on Sunday, February 20, 2022. Starting in fall 2022, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program will increase the number of new students into the program to 80 from 72 annually. The provincial... Read more
VIU Nursing Professor Receives Financial Support to Continue Resilience Research
January 26, 2021
Support from BC’s health research funding agency will enable Dr. Shannon Dames to focus on further developing a resilience-focused, psychedelic-assisted mental health therapy program. An innovative psychedelic medicine-assisted therapy and resilience training program developed by Vancouver Island University (VIU) Nursing Professor Dr. Shannon Dames and her team is proving to be very effective... Read more
VIU Professors Examine the Social Impacts of Wearing Masks
November 6, 2020
Expert Commentary: As the number of businesses and organizations implementing mask-wearing policies and guidelines increases, we were curious about some of the effects of this new way of interacting with one another. Dr. Lindsay McCunn, a VIU Psychology Professor, and Maureen O’Connor, a VIU Bachelor of Science in Nursing Professor, share some thoughts. Wearing a mask is one way to minimize the... Read more
Supporting Health-Care Professionals Suffering From Emotional Distress
June 12, 2020
VIU professor receives federal government grant to aid in the development of an innovative psychedelic medicine-assisted therapy program for the treatment of mental health issues experienced by first responders. A Vancouver Island University (VIU) Nursing professor developing a psychedelic medicine-assisted therapy and resilience training program has received a sizeable federal government grant... Read more
Building Resilience in Volunteer Firefighters
December 11, 2019
A VIU professor is helping volunteer firefighters cope with the physical and mental effects they may experience when they are involved in a traumatic incident. Firefighters are the real-life heroes. The people who put their lives on the line to save our homes and rescue us from motor vehicle accidents. They also have a higher than normal exposure to horrific events than the average person. “... Read more
Nursing Students Go On The Air To Promote Good Health
October 21, 2019
VIU’s nurses of tomorrow address community health-care issues on unique Nanaimo radio show. NANAIMO, BC: Five Vancouver Island University (VIU) Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) students are taking to the airwaves to provide reliable health information to the community. A Sound Constitution is a radio show that focuses on community well-being, hosted on CHLY 101.7 every Thursday between 10 and... Read more
Students Solidify Critical Care Training in New Facility
March 26, 2019
VIU’s new Centre for Health and Science encourages greater collaboration between students and professionals across all health disciplines. Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) new clinical skills and simulation labs engage students in interprofessional training that allows health care graduates to successfully compete for highly skilled, in-demand jobs. The $40.9-million, 6,855-square-metre... Read more
Training the Next Generation of Nurses
January 7, 2019
Candace Boland always knew she wanted a career that helped people. As a fourth-year nursing student at Vancouver Island University (VIU), she is close to achieving that goal. “When I got started in the VIU Nursing program, I realized this felt right. This is where I am meant to be,” she says. Born and raised on the Island, Boland and her three boys call Cobble Hill their home. She says... Read more
Research @VIU: Working Where the Devil Dances
October 17, 2018
Every year, faculty and students at VIU go out into communities to participate in research that is having significant impacts on the region as well as giving students important experiential learning opportunities. Here are a few projects they engaged in this year. Project two of five. Firefighting can be an intense, stressful job. Of the 14,000 people who do this important, life-saving work,... Read more