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College of Nursing

Biography

Dr. Kelly Penz is an Associate Professor with the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Nursing. Her Professional Quality of Life program of research aims to explore the psychosocial wellbeing and nature of practice of nurses in rural and remote practice and nurses who provide palliative and end of life care provincially and nationally. Main research themes within the above populations include job-demands/job-resources, distressing/traumatic events, workplace violence, recruitment/retention, and various outcomes related to their psychosocial and occupational health. She also has been involved in the development and psychometric evaluation of new instruments/scales measuring the job-demands and job-resources inherent in various areas of nursing practice and primary health care engagement of nurses in rural and remote practice.

Dr. Penz has been involved as a Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator (Provincially) and Co-Investigator (Nationally) on multidisciplinary research teams, with grant funding from a variety of sources including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Health Canada, the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF), University of Saskatchewan Provost Funding for Innovative Teaching and Learning, and College of Nursing CIHR Project Seed Grants.

Dr. Penz teaches courses in the College of Nursing undergraduate and graduate programs and supervises students who are conducting research at the Master of Nursing (MN)-Thesis and PhD level of study.

Research Interests

  • Rural and Remote Nursing Practice
  • Palliative and End of Life Care
  • Professional Quality of Life
  • Psychosocial Wellness of Health Care Professionals
  • Instrument Development in Nursing

Methodology

  • Qualitative
  • Quantitative
  • Mixed-Methods

Courses

  • NURS 204 Communication and Professional Relationships
  • NURS 205 Research for Evidence-Informed Practice
  • NURS 304 Family Nursing
  • NURS 306 Exploring Chronicity and Aging
  • NURS 897 Nursing Research Advanced Research Methods in Quantitative Design

Publications

Grants

Sattar, S (PI), Candow, D (Co-I), McNeely, M (Co-I), Alibhai, S (Co-I), Harenberg, S (Co-I), Amir, E (Co-I), Penz, K (Co-I), Haase, K (Co-I), Campbell, D (Co-I), Chalchal, H (Co-I), Souied, O (Co-I), Kuster, S (Co-I) & Pitter, E (Co-I). Testing the feasibility and effects of the STABLE program on reducing fall risk among community-dwelling older adults with cancer: A randomized controlled trial. Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) - Establishment Grant ($119,050) (Oct 2019 to Sept 2024)
Sattar, S (PI), Haase, L (Co-PI), Penz, K (Co-PI), Alibhai, S (Co-PI), Chalchal, H (Co-PI), Candow, D (Co-I), McNeely, M (Co-I), Amir, E (Co-I), Campbell, D (Co-I) & Pitter, E (Co-I). The effects of strength and balance training on falls in older adults with cancer: A feasibility study. University of Saskatchewan College of Nursing CIHR Seed Grant ($8,798). (March 2019)

External Committees

  • Director, Board of Directors- Saskatchewan Hospice Palliative Care Association (SHPCA). December 2017-June 2020.
  • Director, Board of Directors- Regina Palliative Care Inc., Greystone Bereavement Centre. June 2015-March 2018.