A nursing educator whose career spans nearly 40 years in clinical, faculty, and senior administrative roles will lead TRU’s School of Nursing.
Dr. Donna Murnaghan will become the Dean for the School of Nursing, starting Sept. 1, 2013.
“TRU has attracted an excellent teacher-scholar whose career has spanned major health care and health education institutions on Prince Edward Island,” said Alan Shaver TRU President and Vice-chancellor. “We are pleased to welcome Donna to TRU and wish her continued success with this new step in her career.”
“As Dean of Nursing, I look forward to leading our team in finding solutions to shape an ever-changing, dynamic health system and working together to educate knowledgeable and competent nurses who are fully prepared to deliver high quality practice,” says Dr. Murnaghan.
Her nursing career started in 1975 at Charlottetown Hospital, where she was a Staff Nurse in Obstetrics and in Pediatrics. From 1978 to 2013, Dr. Murnaghan held faculty and administration positions in the School of Nursing at University of Prince Edward Island (formerly P.E.I. School of Nursing). From 2000-09 Dr. Dr. Murnaghan held positions as Associate Director and later Director of Programs and Partnerships at the Prince Edward Island Health Research Institute.
Awards and recognitions include community service and scholarly activity, with some highlights being:
• Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Center Senior Scientist Award (2010)
• Her role as Mentor for the Canadian Institute of Health Research Population Intervention for Chronic Disease Prevention from 2008 to present
• 2013 Commemorative Medal for the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, for her contribution to Nursing and Health Care
• 2002 Commemorative Medal for the Gold Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, for her contributions to cancer control.
Dr. Murnaghan holds a PhD from the University of Helsinki, where her doctoral dissertation focused on ‘The Impact of New Tobacco Policy on Knowledge, Attitudes and Prevalence of Smoking in High School Youth’. She acquired her Master of Nursing in 1992 from Dalhousie University and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1977 from the University of New Brunswick.
“In this role, I believe we serve three critical groups: students, the reason we must provide high quality education; our public, who expect us to educate highly qualified health professionals; and finally, TRU itself, where the School of Nursing is part of a larger system responsible for building quality programs and a reputation of excellence, says Dr. Murnaghan.”
