Sarah Dewell Assistant Professor | School of Nursing

Research Interests

Sarah's research explores the development of precision health through scholarship focused on nursing education, research, and practice with a focus on foundational genomic knowledge for all nurses. She works with an extensive network of national and international genomics nurse educators and researchers on several projects, including the creating of a genomics educational hub www.linkage.trubox.ca and integrating genomics into the Nurse Practitioner program at TRU. Sarah is a member of the steering committees for the Global Genomics Nursing Alliance (G2NA) and the Canadian Nursing & Genomics initiative. She is also a member of the International Society of Nurses in Genetics (ISONG) and the Nursing Genomics Project Group of the National Human Genome Research Institute's Inter-Society Coordinating Committee for Practitioner Education in Genomics (ISCC-PEG).

Education

Postdoctoral Associate (Nursing), University of Calgary, 2019 - 2020
PhD in Nursing, University of Calgary, 2015 - 2019
Bachelor of Nursing with Distinction (Accelerated track), University of Calgary, 2005 - 2007
Master of Science (Medical Genetics), University of British Columbia, 2001 - 2003
Bachelor of Science (Cell Biology and Genetics), University of British Columbia, 1995 - 1999

Publications

Chiu, P., Limoges, J., Pike, A., Calzone, K., Tonkin, E., Puddester, R., Gretchev, A., Dewell, S., Newton, L., & Leslie, K. (2024). Integrating genomics into Canadian oncology nursing policy: Insights from a comparative policy analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 80(11), 4488-4509. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16099

Fox, D., Hall, M., Thibodeau, C., Coldwell, K., Lauder, L., Dewell, S., & Davidson, S. (2023). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian transplant journeys: A mixed methods study. BMJ Open, 13, e068347. 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068347

Fox, D., Hall, M., Thibodeau, C., Coldwell, K., Lauder, L., Dewell, S., & Davidson, S. (2023). The experiences of patients, caregivers, and donors on transplant journeys in Canada: A mixed methods study. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 30, 268-280. 10.1111/jep.13942

Thomas, J., Keels, J., Calzone, K., Badzek, L., Dewell, S., Patch, C., Tonkin, E., & Dwyer, A. (2023). Current state of genomics in nursing: A scoping review of healthcare provider oriented (clinical and educational) outcomes (2012-2022). Genes, 14, https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14112013

Puddester, R., Limoges, J., Dewell, S., Maddigan, J., Carlsson, L., & Pike, A. (2023). The Canadian Landscape of Genetics and Genomics in Nursing: A Policy Document Analysis. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research. 55(4), 494-509. https://doi.org/10.1177/08445621231159164

Limoges, J., Pike, A., Dewell, S., Meyer, A., Puddester, R., & Carlsson, L. (2022). Leading Canadian Nurses into the Genomic Era of Healthcare. Canadian Journal of Nursing Leadership. 35(2), 79-95. 10.12927/cjnl.2022.26869

Swadas, N., Dewell, S., & Davidson, S. (2022) Knowledge and attitudes of pharmacogenetics among Canadian nurses: Implications for nursing education. Quality Advancement in Nursing Education - Avancees en formation infirmiere, 8(2), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.17483/2368-6669.1319

Nowell, L., Davidson, S., Gospodinov, J., Laing, C., Shajani, Z., Dewell, S., Conroy, T., & Button, D. (2022). Evaluating fundamental care knowledge to inform educational leadership. Journal of Advanced Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15279

Dwyer, A. A., Calzone, K. A., Dewell, S., Badzek, L., & Patch, C. (2021). Correspondence on "Ensuring best practice in genomics education and evaluation: Reporting item standards for education and its evaluation in genomics (RISE2 Genomics)" by Nisselle et al. Genetics in Medicine:Official Journal of the American College of Medical Genetics, S1098-3600(21)05403-4, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gim.2021.11.023

Dewell, S., Ginn, C., Benzies, K., & Seneviratne, C. (2021). Nursing student and faculty attitudes about a potential genomics-informed undergraduate curriculum. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 18(1). https://doi.org/doi:10.1515/ijnes-2020-0109

Potter-Dickey, A., Letourneau, N., Silveira, P. P., Ntanda, H., Giesbrecht, G. F., Hart, M., Dewell, S., & de Koning, A. P. J. (2021). Associations Among Parental Caregiving Quality, Cannabinoid Receptor 1 Expression-Based Polygenic Scores, and Infant-Parent Attachment: Evidence for Differential Genetic Susceptibility?. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 15, 928. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnins.2021.704392

Dewell, S., Benzies, K., Ginn, C., & Seneviratne, C. (2020). Assessing knowledge of genomic concepts among Canadian nursing students and faculty. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 17(1), https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2020-0058

Dewell, S., Benzies, K., & Ginn, C. (2020) Precision health and nursing: Seeing the familiar in the foreign. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, 52(3), 199-208. https://doi.org/10.1177/0844562120945159

Employment History

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of Northern British Columbia, 2020 - 2023
Geriatric Mental Health and Geriatric Outreach, June 2014 - July 2015
Geriatric Mental Health, June 2012 - June 2014
Consultation and Liaison Mental Health Team, May 2011 - June 2012
Geriatric Mental Health, May 2009 - May 2011
Short Stay Mental Health, April 2007 - May 2009
Neurology/Stroke, May - June 2007

Courses Taught

NURS1700
NURS1830
NURS5100

Professional Affiliations

Registered Nurse, British Columbia College of Nurses & Midwives, 2020 - current

Registered Nurse, College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (non-practicing), 2007 - current