Dr. Lorraine Thirsk

Dr. Thirsk completed her graduate education at the University of Calgary (MN, 2005; PhD, 2009) with a focus on advanced practice in Family Systems Nursing. Dr. Thirsk’s program of research focuses on family nursing interventions in adult populations living with life-limiting and life-threatening illness. The aim of her program of research is to:

Reduce suffering and improve quality of life for families living with serious illness by improving nurses’ relational practices and competencies in therapeutic conversations.

Recently, this work has focused specifically on how cognitive biases impact nurse-patient relationships, therapeutic communication, and clinical judgment. This has led to an interest in racism, discrimination, and stigmatization in nursing practice. She works with international collaborators, through the International Family Nursing Association, to advance knowledge about families and illness, and nursing practices.

Her teaching, research, and service continues to be heavily influenced by family systems theory and family nursing practices, including the Calgary Family Assessment Model and Calgary Family Intervention Model. She has worked as a Registered Nurse in rural and urban areas, tertiary facilities and community care, nephrology, and palliative care. She joined the Faculty of Health Disciplines at Athabasca University in 2019.

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Research interests

• Family nursing
• Nursing interventions
• Cognitive bias
• Clinical judgment

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Educational credentials

• BScN (2000)
• MN (2005)
• PhD (2009)

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Professional affiliations

• College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta
• International Family Nursing Association
• Sigma Theta Tau International (Phi Gamma virtual chapter)

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