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College of Nursing

Biography

Dr. Spurr joined the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Nursing in 2006 and is currently a tenured Associate Professor. She has over 25 years of nursing experience working in a variety of settings including acute care pediatrics, home care, and public health. Dr. Spurr’s professional practice is focused in two areas: Promoting wellness and hope in families who have a child with a life-limiting /life-threatening illness; and, Enhancing student experiences in post-secondary education through the integration of interprofessional education (IPE) and/or the promotion of wellness. Both focuses have a common goal to promote health and wellness of individuals and their families.

Dr. Spurr is keenly interested in promoting wellness in children, adolescents, and their families and is a leader of an interdisciplinary USask research team who are currently working to co-create, pilot, and evaluate Indigenous community-led, culture-based T2D education and self-management (Health and Optimism in T2D Prevention and Education (HOPE)) interventions, reflecting needs of Indigenous youth. Along with the HOPE interventions designed to prevent T2D, Dr. Spurr is part of an established USask research team who will develop and test the Keeping Hope Possible (KHP) Toolkit, a psychosocial intervention designed to promote wellness and hope in families who have a child with a life limiting or life-threatening illness.

A career highlight for Dr. Spurr was co-developing the Caring For Kids Where They Live program in two schools (one elementary and one high school) which is an Interprofessional Education (IPE) clinical experience that offers many opportunities for student learning. This IPE enhanced clinical experience provides excellent opportunities for health science students to improve the standard of pediatric health care and health outcomes for these children, adolescents, and their families, while providing consistent opportunities for the health science students to learn with, from, and about each other’s professions. Dr. Spurr teaches pediatric clinical in the high school community setting and consistently integrate IPE into the practicum.

Research Interests

  • Health promotion
  • Diabetes
  • Healthy Body Weights
  • Physical Activity
  • Holistic Nursing care
  • Interprofessional Education

Methodology

  • Qualitative
  • Quantitative
  • Mixed methods

Courses

  • NURS 304: Family Nursing
  • NURS 330: Maternal Child and Adolescent Family Centered Nursing
  • NURS 331: Maternal Child and Adolescent Family Centered Nursing Practice
  • NURS 450: Practice Integration

Publications

Grants

Oosman, S. (Nominated Principal Applicant); Co-Principal Applicants: Bally, J., Spurr, S., Froehlich Chow, A.; Co-Applicants: Abonyi, S., Bullin, C., Cammer, A., Ferguson, L., Foulds, H., Inman, M., Kappel, J., Lovo, S., Marks, W., Yau, D., Zucker-Levin, A., Nour, M., Vatanparast, H., Hodgson-Viden, H., & McKinney, V. Collaborators: Ndubuka, N., Herman, D., Montgrand, T., Dorian, L., Churchman, L., Jolibois, G., Clarke, T., Wong, T., Khan, I., Cheecham-Uhrich, D., Cheecham, A., Gardiner, N., Eashapppie, T., MacDonald, B., Sovdi, R., Kornder, N., Smith, L., Clarke, M., Rueling, M., Tootoosis, H., Durocher, L., Larocque, M., Laliberte, A., Maurice, J., Pelly, J., Kewistep, G., & Roy, T.J. Strong Bodies, Spirits, Minds, and Voices ~ Privileging Indigenous Knowledge to Guide Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes Prevention with First Nations and Métis Communities in Saskatchewan (May 2023-May 2028). Team grant- Diabetes and Treatment in Indigenous Communities: Resilience and Wellness. Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR)- Institute of Indigenous Peoples Health, Team grant, $2,000,000.00.
Oosman, S. (Nominated Principal Applicant); Co-Principal Applicants: Bally, J., Spurr, S., Froehlich Chow, A. Promoting Health Among Indigenous Youth Through Wellness and HOPE (February 2023- March 2026). Mitacs Accelerate Internship grant program, $240,000.00.
Spurr, S. (Nominated Principal Applicant); Co-Principal Applicants: Bally, J., Froehlich Chow, A., Oosman, S.; Co- Applicants; Inman, M., Noore, M., Yau, D., Foulds, H., Kappel, J., Zucker-Levin, A,, Vantanparest, H., Cammer, A., Hodgson-Vidin H., Collaborators: MacDonald, B., Sovdi, R., Kornder, N., Smith, L., Clarke, M., Tootoosis, H., Durocher, L., Larocque, M., Laliberte, A., Maurice, J., Pelly, J., Kewistep, G. Promoting Health Among Indigenous Youth Through Wellness and HOPE (Health & Optimism in T2D Prevention & Education) in Saskatchewan (December 2021 - December 2024). End Diabetes: 100, Diabetes Canada. $300,000.00 (CAD) to Spurr, Shelley.
Oosman, S. (Nominated Principal Applicant); Co-Principal Applicants: Spurr, S. , Bally, J., Froehlich Chow, A.; Co-applicants: Inman, M., Noore, M., Yau, D., Foulds, H., Tait, C., Kappel, J., Bullin, C., Zucker-Levin, Vantanparest, H., Cammer, A., Hodgson-Vidin H. Collaborators: MacDonald, B., Sovdi, R., Kornder, N., Smith, L., Clarke, M., Tootoosis, H., Durocher, L., Larocque, M., Laliberte, A., Maurice, J., Pelly, J., Kewistep, G. Strong Bodies, Spirits, Minds, and Voices ~ Privileging Indigenous Knowledge to Guide Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes Prevention with First Nations and Métis Communities in Saskatchewan (December 2021 – June, 2022). $35,000.00 (CAD). Canadian Institution for Health Research (CIHR)-Letter of Intent.
Spurr, S., (Nominated Principal Applicant); Co-Principal Applicant: Danford, C., Co-applicants: Roberts, K., Sheppard-LeMoine, D., Machado Silva-Rodrigues, F., Darezzo Rodrigues Nunes, M. (April 2021 - September 2023). Fathers experience in families with a child with a chronic condition: A systematic review, $2,500.0 (USD)/$3,300 CAD. International Family Nursing Association. 2500 (USD) to Spurr, Shelley.
Spurr, S., (Nominated Principal Applicant); Co-applicants: Bally, J., Bullin, C., Allan, D., & McNair. E. (June 2020 - April 2021). The Prevalence of Undiagnosed Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes among Ethnic groups of Adolescents in Canada, 1000.0 (CAD). Publications Fund - Publication Costs, Office of the Vice-President Research. 1000 (CAD) to Spurr, Shelley.
Bally, J (Principal Investigator)., Spurr, S., (Co-Principal Investigator); Co-Investigators: Risling, T., Peacock, S., Holtslander, L., Hodgson-Viden, H., Sinha, R., Brusky, J.; Collaborators: Burles, M., Janvier, S., Ogren, J., & Tisher, J. (January 2020 - December 2020). Developing a Doorway to Accessible Supportive Care Resources for Parents of Seriously Ill Children: An Innovative Pediatric Health Care ePortal, $9,995.0 (CAD). Planning and Dissemination - Institute Community Support, Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Bally, J. (Principal Investigator), Spurr, S. (Co-Principal Investigator); & Risling, T. (Co-investigator). Collaborators: Sinha, R., & Hodgson-Viden, H. (March 2019 - June 2023). Arts-Based Research Methods with Families of Seriously Ill Children: A Pilot Study, $10,000.00 (CAD). CIHR Project Seed Grant Program, College of Nursing. $10,000 (CAD) to Bally, Jill.
Mcharo, S. (Principal Investigator).; Co-Principal Investigators: Spurr, S., & Bally, J.; Co-Investigators: Holtslander, L., Peacock, S., Walker & K. (September 2019 - October 2023). Exploring Nursing Presence as Experienced by Family Care Givers in Pediatric Oncology (For Kasha Mcharo), $5000.00. Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology.
Spurr, S. (Nominated Principal Applicant); (January 2019 - July 2020). Promoting a culture of wellness: An interdisciplinary investigation of resilience, well-being, and quality of life, $5,000.0 (CAD). College of Nursing. $5000.00 (CAD) to Spurr, Shelley.
Spurr, S. (Nominated Principal Applicant); Co-Principal Applicant: Bally, J. (May 2018 - December 2019). A community-based health promotion approach to developing an intervention for adolescents living in Saskatchewan who are at risk for prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes, $9,965.8 (CAD). College of Nursing. 9965.8 (CAD) to Spurr, Shelley.
Hayes, A., (Nominated Principal Applicant); Co-Principal Applicants: Spurr, S., & Bally, J., (July 2017 - December 2019). Teledentistry in Northern Saskatchewan: Are we ready? $30,000.00, -Colgate-Palmolive Company. Comment: The international grant (total $30.000.00 USD) was awarded but declined due to the principal investigator’s resignation from the University.

External Committees

  • International Family Nursing Association: Co-Chair- Education Committee
  • International Family Nursing Association: Research Committee Member: Pediatric Research Group

Honours (Medals, Fellowships, Prizes)

  • SRNA Millennium Award, Jean Browne Award for Leadership in Nursing Practice, Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association, January 2011