(Annalita) Shireen Bell
Shireen is a registered nurse, and nurse educator at Red Deer Polytechnic, Red Deer Alberta. She has worked in a variety of practice areas in her earlier direct practice career work that spans over 30 years including medical, surgical, emergency room and perioperative care. She transitioned into nursing education 16 years ago. She loves working with students especially with regards to clinical education and so she pursued her certification as a clinical educator (CCCI) through the Canadian Association for Schools of Nursing (CASN) during her instructional practice. She has also worked as a Faculty Navigator guiding new faculty through their transition from clinician to educator. Shireen's PhD research explores expressions of resilience in undergraduate nursing students who come from Black, Indigenous or Person of Colour (BIPOC) communities. Other areas of scholarly and research pursuits include global health, newcomer health, antiracism, antiracist pedagogy, universal design for learning, intersectionality, appreciative inquiry, and arts-based methods. Shireen is also the Board Chair of Alberta Registered Nurses Educational Trust (ARNET) which is a provincial charitable organization that funds registered nurses and nurse practitioners across Alberta in their educational and research pursuits. As a Person of Colour of South Indian heritage who came to Canada as a young child, she is motivated and inspired to add her voice to scholarly inquiry and further knowledge contributions in nursing education and the post-secondary environment.
2019 - Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing - University of Manitoba
2010 - Master of Nursing - University of Alberta
2005 - Post RN Baccalaureate of Nursing - University of Alberta/Red Deer College Collaborative Program
1999- Nursing Refresher Program - Grant McEwan Community College/(Red Deer College)
1988 - Nursing Diploma Program - Keyano College
Acute Care Urban and Rural, Elder Care, Global Health, Pharmacology, Nursing Research
Research Experience
- May 2022 – co-launched Alberta Registered Nurses Educational Trust research funding program for RNs and NPs leading research
- April 2022 – Co-writer of Alberta Registered Nurses Educational Trust research grant application
- April 2020 – December 2021 – Co-conducted provincial wide environmental scan of state of nursing research
- September 2019 – Co-writer of a literature review on stress and mental health in undergraduate nursing students.
- August 2019 – Doctoral studies with University of Manitoba
- May 2018 – Co-I for a collaborative research project between Mount Royal University, University of Lethbridge, Red Deer College and AHS examining workplace violence among nurses in the hospital setting.
- August 2017 – PI for the community-based research project using the Scripps art program, Opening Minds Through Art (OMA) and its impact on students and elder participants
- November 2016 – Assisted with Research and Scholarly Activity Bootcamp as a researcher consultant for faculty and staff developing/conducting scholarly research projects
- Fall 2016 – Ongoing - As member of Research Commons, serve as a researcher consultant on a weekly drop-in basis assisting faculty and students with various technical research needs as well as providing referrals to relevant resource materials and people including RDC research associated with the 2019 Canada Winter Games.
- Fall 2010 – Fall 2012 – Doctoral student/research assistant and member of the Ethnicity and Health Research Team under the supervision of Dr. Gina Higginbottom, University of Alberta
- April 2011 – Fall 2011 – Analyzed interview transcripts using Atlasti© software and extracted data for preliminary findings
- Fall 2011 – Co-coordinated and co-conducted participant interviews for the study Optimizing hospital and community-based maternity care for immigrant and minority women in Alberta
- Fall 2010 – Winter 2011 – Assisted with literature review (article appraisals and writing phase) related to the study Optimizing hospital and community-based maternity care for immigrant and minority women in Alberta
- Fall 2009- Assisting with interviews for the study The experience and transition of internationally educated nurses into the Canadian health care system in Alberta
- Spring 2008 - Assisted with literature search on cultural assessment tools for the study proposal Does the use of the FamChat Tool enhance nursing assessments?
Selected Publications
- Higginbottom, G, Bell A.S., Arsenault, J., Pillay, J. (2012). An integrative review of experiences of maternity services for immigrant women in Canada. Diversity and Equality in Health and Care, 9, 253-266.
- Higginbottom G.M.A., Caine V., Salway S., Richter M.S., Ogilvie L., Bourque-Bearskin R.L., Mogale S., Bell A. and Barnawi N. (2011). Providing Culturally Safe and Competent Health Care – A Self-Directed Workbook and Digital Resource. Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ISBN: 978-1-55195-289-5.
- Higginbottom G.M.A., O’Brien B., Mumtaz Z., Yohani S., Chiu Y., Okeke-Ihejirika P., Ahmadi E., Paton P., Malhi R., Bell A.S. (2011) International migration and maternity: perspectives from interdisciplinary qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods 10(4): 537.
Conference Presentations (select)
- April 2022, Online – University of Manitoba, College of Nursing’s Antiracism Committee Guest Speaker Series: oral presentation: Talking, being and enacting together: BIPOC cultural safety in nursing education, oral presentation
- May 2021, Online - Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing conference. Online. Bell, S., Eisan, A., Lowe, E., Ratcliffe, C., & Symes, C. Stress, anxiety, and depression in nursing students: A systematized review of the literature, poster presentation
- March 2022, Red Deer, Alberta – Red Deer Polytechnic Research Showcase: PhD in Progress: Exploring resilience in BIPOC undergraduate nursing students, oral presentation
- May, 2019, Calgary, Alberta – Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association 20th Biennial Conference: Purposeful art, connection and social change: Impacts of an innovative community based art therapy program, oral and poster presenter & primary author
- April 2017, Edmonton, Alberta – University of Alberta’s BScN Collaborative Conference RDC Faculty Advisor BScN Mentorship Initiative, poster presentation co-author/creator
Community Involvement (Select)
- 2019 – current: Board Chair of Alberta Registered Nurses Educational Trust (ARNET), provincial charitable organization
- 2021: RN Educators – Co-wrote Labour Disruption Principles for Nursing Educators Working Group
- 2020: COVID swabbing and rapid testing for Hockey Canada, World Junior Tryouts
- 2018 – 2020: Member of the Urban Aboriginal Voices – Health Domain Committee
- 2018 – 2019: Co-Supervisor as Scientific Advisor for High School Students entering Youth Science Canada Science Fair
- 2018: Point in Time Volunteer for Census of Homelessness
- 2017-2019: Opening Minds Through Art Red Deer College faculty-community liaison
- 2016: Point in Time Volunteer for Census of Homelessness
- 2014, 2015 & 2017: Make-A-Wish – Rope for Hope volunteer and participant
- 2014 - current: Volunteer and RDC contact for Nigeria’s Imo State University nursing textbook drive project
- 2007 – current: Sponsors for children with World Vision, Cause Canada, and Food for Hungry
- 1997 – current: Worship musician, Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Red Deer, 18 Selkirk Blvd, Red Deer, AB
Professional and/or RDP Leadership
- Board Chair of Alberta Registered Nurses Educational Trust (ARNET)
- Founding Member of Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing, Nurse Educator Research Interest Group
- Member of Red Deer Polytechnic BScN Scholarship Committee
- Member of Red Deer Polytechnic BScN Universal Design for Learning Working Group
Professional Memberships
- Registered Member at large with active license of College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta,
- Member at large of Canadian Nurses Association
- Member of Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing, Canadian Certified Clinical Instructor Group
Awards and Honours
- Fall 2022 – Dr. Margaret R. Francis Award - $1100.00
- Summer 2022 – Irene E. Nordwich Foundation Award - $2000.00
- Spring 2022 – Dr. Marguerite Schumacher Spirit of Nursing Award – $4000.00
- Fall 2021 – Canadian Nurses Foundation, Frances Moran Award - $7500.00
- Fall 2020 – Helen Glass Research Symposium Graduate Student Poster Competition - $200.00
- Spring 2019 – Provincial Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award, Alberta Colleges and Institutes Faculty Association - $1000.00
- Fall 2012 – Red Deer College, Faculty Contributor of the Month (November 2012)
- Fall 2011 - Peggy & Ivor Field Scholarship for Maternity Nursing, Midwifery, or Women’s Health - $1000.00
- Fall 2010 – University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry - Emerging Team Grant Student Bursary - $65, 000.00
- Fall 2010 – Provost Doctoral Entrance Award - $4200.00
- Winter 2009 – Alberta Advanced Education and Technology Scholarship - $3000.00
- Winter 2008 – Prairie Metropolis Centre Graduate Student Award - $3500.00
- Fall 2007 - Don Mazankowski Scholarship - $1000.00
- Fall 2007 – Research Assistant/Teaching Assistant Graduate Tuition Supplement - 50% reduced tuition
- June 1988 - C.V. Mosby Nursing Award