Heather Jewers, RN, BScN, MN, CNA specialty certification in palliative care, has been a registered nurse in Nova Scotia for 38 years and is currently assistant professor at St. Francis Xavier University. Prior to teaching, Ms. Jewers served as the palliative care nurse consultant for St. Martha’s Regional Hospital, providing education and consultation services to nurses, other health-care professionals, the public, patients and families.
Ms. Jewers is known as an accomplished nurse clinician, scholar, educator, leader and researcher. Her countless hours at patients’ bedsides, in board rooms, classrooms, and working on task forces and research teams has changed the way palliative care is taught, implemented and evaluated at local, provincial and national levels.
Well-respected for her contributions to research, Ms. Jewers’ research endeavours include education for patient-centered care, the role of the nurse in palliative care, public education strategies for cancer prevention and the development information systems to support collaborative patient-centered practice.
Ms. Jewers is passionate, focused and works tirelessly to inform others about compassionate palliative care and best practices. She believes that changing and strengthening policy, professional standards, regulatory requirements and accreditation standards are pivotal to overcoming barriers to practical palliative care.
Ms. Jewers developed and chaired the local palliative care policy and procedure manual committee, and she proposed and facilitated implementation of the Cancer Support Clinic at St. Martha’s. In 2002, she was the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association provincial norms champion and was awarded the Nova Scotia Nurses Foundation master of nursing scholarship in 2001.