Curriculum Vitae

Helen Kathleen Mussallem

C.C., D.St.J., B.N., M.A., Ed.D., LLD, Dsc., D.U., F.R.C.N..

Educational Background

Diploma – Vancouver General Hospital

Diploma – Teaching, Supervision and Administration – University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

Bachelor of Nursing – McGill University, Montreal, Quebec

Master of Arts – Teacher’s College, Columbia University, New York

Doctor of Education – Columbia University, New York

(Honorary Degrees listed under “Major Awards”)

Professional Positions

1943-1946 Active Service, Lieutenant (Nursing Officer) Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps: Canada and Overseas

Staff Nurse, Head Nurse and Supervisor, Vancouver General Hospital

1947-1957 Instructor, Senior Instructor, Director of Nursing Education – Vancouver General Hospital, School of Nursing,

1957-1960 Director, Pilot Project for Evaluation of Schools of Nursing in Canada, Canadian Nurses Association

1960-1963 Director of Special Studies, Canadian Nurses Association

1962-1963 Seconded to Royal Commission on Health Services for Study of Nursing Education in Canada

1963-1981 Executive Director, Canadian Nurses Association

1966-1981 Secretary-Treasurer, Canadian Nurses Foundation

1980-1985 Project Director of International Study on “Group Action by Nurses”

1981-1985 Member of Board of Directors of International Council of Nurses

1981-1999 Special Adviser to National and International Health Organizations

Major Awards

Rockefeller Foundation Travelling Scholarship, 1957

Centennial Medal, 1967

Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) – University of New Brunswick, 1968

Officer, Order of Canada, 1969

Doctor of Science (honoris causa) – Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1969

Special Citation of Recognition, Canadian Red Cross Society, 1974

Fellow, Royal College of Nursing of the United Kingdom, 1976

Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal, 1977

Award of Distinguished Achievement in Nursing Research & Scholarship, Columbia University, New York, 1977

Medal for Distinguished Service, Columbia University, 1979

Canada’s National Nursing Library designated “The Helen K. Mussallem Library”, CNA House, June 1980

Florence Nightingale Medal, International Red Cross, 1981

Commonwealth Foundation Lectureship Award to Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Malta and Cyprus, 1981

Jeanne Mance Award of the Canadian Nurses Association, 1981

Dame of Grace, Order of St.John, 1982

Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) – Queen’s University, 1983

Award of Merit, Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia, 1983

Miembro de Honor, Cuban Nurses Society, 1984

International Council of Nurses, Award for Service, 1988

Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) – McMaster University, 1989

Companion, Order of Canada, 1992 (promotion within the Order)

Medal, 125th Anniversary of Confederation, 1992

Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) – University of British Columbia, 1994

Dame of Justice, Order of St.John, 1997

Doctor of the University, University of Ottawa, 1998

Ross Award for Nursing Leadership, Canadian Nurses Foundation, 1991

Nursing Hall of Fame, Columbia University, 1999

Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, 2002

R. Louise McManus Medal for Distinguished Service to Nursing, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2003

Capilano Herald of Arms Extraordinary, Canadian Heraldic Authority, 2006

Doctor of Science (honoris causa) – McGill University, 2006

Lady Ishbel Aberdeen Award, Victorian Order of Nurses Canada, 2007

Notations in Who’s Who in Canada and Who’s Who Outstanding Women of the 20th Century

Honorary Life Member

Association of Nurses of Prince Edward Island, 1971

Alberta Association of Registered Nurses, 1980

Manitoba Association of Registered Nurses, 1980

Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association, 1980

New Brunswick Association of Registered Nurses, 1980

Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada, 1981

Canadian Council of Health Service Executives, 1981

Canadian College of Health Services Executives, 1982

Northwest Territories Registered Nurses Association, 1982

Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, 1988

Canadian Nurses Foundation, 1990

Canadian Nursing Students Association, 1992

Canadian Public Health Association, Life Member, 1994

The University of British Columbia Alumni Association, 1994

Victorian Order of Nurses, 1996

Honor Society of Nursing, University of Ottawa

Major International Assignments and Missions

Chairman, First Scientific Group on Research in Nursing of World Health Organization, Geneva, 1963

Canadian Representative at the 350th Anniversary Meeting of the International Red Cross, Lausanne. Switzerland, 1963

Chairman of Expert Committee to advise on the program for the International School of Advanced Nursing Education, University of Edinburgh, for World Health Organization, 1964

Survey of Nursing and Nursing Education in Lebanon for World Health Organization, 1964

Short-term consultant on Survey of Schools of Nursing in the Caribbean for Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization, 1964, 1965

Member of Canadian Delegation to Commonwealth Medical Conference, Edinburgh, 1965

Consultant to Seminar on Nursing Education, West Indies, for Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization, 1966, 1967 and 1968

Senior Consultant and Chief Rapporteur on First Travelling Seminar on Nursing in USSR for World Health Organization, 1966

Consultant to Seminar for Senior Tutors in the Caribbean, Guyana, South America, 1968

Chairman, PAHO/WHO Technical Advisory Committee on Nursing in Middle andLatin America, Washington, USA, 1968

Project Director for meeting of Commonwealth Caribbean Nurses sponsored by the Commonwealth Foundation, Barbados, 1970

WHO Consultant on project for accreditation of university and diploma schools of nursing in the Philippines, 1970

WHO Consultant, Survey of Nursing Education in the Commonwealth Caribbean, 1971

Member, Founding Board of Directors, Commonwealth Nurses Federation, London, England, 1971

Canadian Coordinator of Summit Seminar for Nurses, London, England, 1972, 1974, 1976

Consultant to Seminar on Nursing Education in Latin America (middle level) (PAHO/WHO) Caracas, Venezuela, 1972

Short-term consultant to nursing education project, University School of Nursing, Montevideo, Uruguay, 1973

Consultant to Commonwealth Caribbean Regional Nursing Body, Antigua, W.J., 1973-1977

Consultant to Participant in First All African Seminar of Nurses, Ghana, 1974

Chairman, Committee on Liaison with Professional Associations, IXth International Conference on Health Education, Ottawa, 1976

Keynote Speaker and Conference Consultant, Royal Australian Nursing Federation Conference on Goals in Nursing Education, Melbourne, Australia and Consultant to nurses in Queensland, Tasmania, and Southern Australia, 1977

Member of Canadian Government Delegation, 30th World Health Assembly, Geneva Switzerland 1977

Address to World Federation of Public Health Associations, Geneva Switzerland, 1977

Keynote Speaker and Consultant to Seminar, 10th Anniversary Meeting, Bermuda Nurses Association, Hamilton, Bermuda

Planning Committee & Speaker, Second Congress, World Federation of Public Health Associations, 1978

World Health Organization Study of Nursing Services in Cyprus, 1980

Royal College of Nursing of the United Kingdom, Seminar, Presentation on Accountability in Nursing, Leeds Castle, Kent, England 1980

Special Advisor to World Health Organization and Official Representative of the International Council of Nurses to the First Congress of the Cuban Nurses Society, Havana, Cuba 1980

Commonwealth Foundation Lectureship to Nigeria, Liberia, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Malta, and Cyprus, 1981

Consultant on Nursing and Health to Cuban Government, sponsored by Governments of Canada and Cuba (Memorandum of Understanding) 1973, 1976, 1977, 1981

Official Representative, International Council of Nurses to 2nd World Nurses Congress, Cuba, 1984

Special Adviser to Canadian nurse delegation and Canadian Nurses Association officers at meetings of their international body known as International Council of Nurses (ICN) and its

Council of National Representatives in: Geneva, 1963; Frankfurt, 1965; Evian, 1967; Montreal, 1969; Dublin, 1971; Mexico, 1973; Tokyo, 1977; Nairobi, 1979.

Speaker or Chairman of Special Sessions at ICN Congresses in Frankfurt, 1965; Montreal 1969 (Chairman, host association planning committee); Mexico, 1973; Tokyo, 1977; Nairobi, 1979; Los Angeles, 1981; Tel Aviv Israel, 1985; Seoul, 1989; Madrid, 1993

Chair, Plenary Session, World Federation of Public Health, Mexico, 1987

Board, Committee Member, or Advisor to Organizations including:

Canadian Association for the Prevention of Crime

Canadian Association of University Schools of Nursing

Canadian Cancer Society, Fellowship Committee

Canadian Committee on Five Days of Peace, Board of Directors

Canadian Council on Social Development

Canadian Federation of University Women

Canadian International Development Agency (NGO division)

Canadian Lung Association

Canadian Nurses Association

Canadian Nurses Foundation, Patron

Canadian Nurses Education Interest Group (CNEIG), Consultant

Canadian Public Health Association, International Review and Evaluation Committee

Canadian Society of Association Executives

Canadian University Service Overseas

Caribbean Public Health Association, Founding member

Caribbean Registered Nurses Body

Centre for Days of Peace, Board of Directors

Coalition of National Voluntary Organizations, Board of Directors

Commonwealth Nurses Federation

Eastern, Central and Southern African College of Nursing

Economic Council of Canada (1971-1990)

Friends of National Gallery of Canada

Friends of National Museum of Civilization

Friends of National Arts Centre

Health and Welfare Canada, Fellowship Selections Committee

Human Rights Institute for Canada, Board of Directors

International Council of Nurses

International Association of Adult Education

Law Reform Commission of Canada

Nursing Officers Association of Canada

Ontario Occupational Health Nurses Association, Certification Advisory Committee

Orpheus Society, Patron

Pan American Health Organization

Premier’s Council on Health Strategy, 1990

Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia

Royal Society of Health

St. John Ambulance Society, Special Adviser to Chancellor of St. John Ambulance on Public Affairs, 1989

UNICEF National Committee

Victorian Order of Nurses for Canada, Past President

West African College of Nursing

World Federation of Public Health

World Health Organization

YM/YWCA Discussion Club, Consultant

Major Publications

(Click on underlined entries to see full text)

A Pilot Project for Evaluation of Schools of Nursing. Canadian Journal of Public Health 8:8:350-351, Aug. 1958

Spotlight on Nursing Education: the report of the pilot project for the evaluation of schools of nursing in Canada. Ottawa, Canadian Nurses Association, 1960

Path to Quality; a plan for the development of nursing education programs within the general education system of Canada. Ottawa, Canadian Nurses Association, 1964, cl962

Trends in Research in Nursing: (Canada and the United States of America). Geneva, WHO, 1963. (WHO Scientific Group in Research in Nursing, Working paper no. 1)

*Shall we join the family? Canadian Nurse 60(4):381-2. Apr. 1964.

Report of assignments completed by PAHO/WHO short-term consultant on project West Indies 12 from July 5 – August 22, 1964, Ottawa, 1964

Social Change and Nursing Education, Niagara Falls Ontario, 1964, In Papers, Conference of the directors of schools of nursing in Ontario. College of Nurses of Ontario , Niagara Falls, Ontario, 1964

Survey of Nursing and Nursing Education in Lebanon: Assignment Report. Geneva, World Health Organization, 1964

Nursing Education in Canada. Ottawa, Queen’s Printer, 1965. (Royal Commission on Health Service. Study) Nutrition in Nursing Education. Nutrition Notes. 2:2:13-19, Feb. 1966

Report on assignment completed by PAHO/WHO short term consultant from 27 July – 3 Sep. 1965 on PAHO/WHO project AMRO 6031. Ottawa, 1965

Royal Commission on Health Services – Implications for Nursing in Canada. RNAQ News Bulletin , 21:3:10-11. May/Jun. 1965

Formation des infirmieres au Canada, L’Infirmiere (Belges) 44:6:34-35 Dec. 1966

Nursing in Canada. Nursing Times, 62:49:1626-1629, Dec. 9, 1966

Report of the Survey of Schools of Nursing in the Caribbean Area March 1964 -August 1965. Washington, WHO/PAHO, 1966. (WHO/PAHO Reports of Nursing No.6)

Studies on Nursing in Canada. Geneva, WHO, 1966. (Prepared for First Travelling Seminar on Nursing, USSR)

Apercu des soins infirmiers en URSS. Infirmiere Canadienne 9:2:20-26, fev. 1967

A Glimpse of Nursing in the USSR. Canadian Nurse 63:2:27-33, Feb. 1967

*Manpower problems in nursing. 63 (8): 25-28

Problemes de main-d’oevre chez les infirmieres. Infirmiere Canadienne 9:8:22-25, aout 1967

Studies on Nursing in Canada. International Nurse Review, 14:3:35-42, May/Jun. 1967

*No Lack of Nurses – But a Shortage of Nursing. International Nurse Review, 15(1)35.49, Jan,

Changing Role of the Nurse. American Journal of Nursing, 69:3:514-517, Mar. 1969

The Changing Role of the Nurse. International Review of the Red Cross 9:99:287-294, June 1969

Le role futur de l’infirmiere. Revue international de la Croix-Rouge 606:337-347, 1969

Nursing Education in the Philippines; Assignment Reports, July to September 1970

2020: Nursing Fifty Years Hence. In Mary Innis, ed., Nursing Education in a Changing Society, Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1970

The Changing Role of Nurses. Catholic Hosp. 2:4:4-6, Jul. 1971

The Changing Role of the Nurse. In Edith Patten Lewis ed., Changing Patterns of Nursing

Practice: New Needs, New Roles. New York, American Journal of Nursing, 1971

*The Expanding Role: Where Do We Go From Here? Canadian Nurse 67:9:31-34 Sep.1971

Des responsabilites accrues…que sera la prochaine etape? Infirmiere Canadienne 13:9:18-22 sept. 1971 Physician’s Associate Also Means Patient’s Friend. Medi cal Post 67:6:30-31, Mar. 23, 1971

What Kind of Expanding Role? Hospital Administration Canada, 13:11:17, Nov. 1971

Mount Edith Cavell: Canada’s Tribute to a Gallant Nurse. Canadian Nurse 68:23-26, Feb. 1972

Le mont Edith Cavell. Infirmiere Canadienne 14:5:18-21, mai 1972

Options and Opportunities for Nursing. RNAO News 28(3):14-15, May-Jun. 1972

The Changing Role of the Nurse. In Joan Reihl, ed. The Clinical Nurse Specialist: Interpretations . New York, Appleton-Century Crofts, 1973

*The nurse’s role in policy making and planning. International Nursing Review 20(1):9-11. Jan-Feb 1973.

Coup d’oeil sur les soins infirmiers a Cuba. Infirmiere Canadienne. 15:9:12-18, sept. 1973

*A Glimpse of Nursing in Cuba. Canadian Nurse, 69:9:25-30, Sep. 1973

Report of CNA Executive Director to the annual meeting and convention Canadian Nurses’ Association, June 1974. Canadian Nurse 69(9):23-30. Sept, 1973.

Canada: New Issues in Nursing. Annual Symposium of the School of Hygiene, pp. 80-87, 1973.

*What is nursing? Australian Nurses Journal 5 (2):8-12, Aug. 1975.

A conversation with executive director. Canadian Nurse 72(4):44-5. Apr 1976.

Medical Roles, Letter to the Editor. Response to Kenneth M.Leighton. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 116 :1:15, Jan. 8. 1977

Nurses and Political Action, In. Betsy Laser, ed. Issues in Canadian Nursing, edited by M. Ruth

Elliott. Scarborough, Ont, Prentice Hall, 1977

The Necessity for Systematic Knowledge. In Nursing Profession – Routinized, Ritualized or Research Based? Helen Mussallem et al. J.Adv. Nurs. 4:1:87-98, Jan. 1979

With Mary E. Robertson. Through the Eyes of Continuing Education – Canada, Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing 11:1:41-45, Jan/Feb. 1980

Project Report on Training of Nurse-Midwives as Traditional Birth Attendants, West African College of Nurses, 1980

Creative Caring. Keynote Address, Ontario Occupational Health Nurses Association, 22-26 October 1979. COMM.(OHNA)CATOR. Feb. 1980, p.4-7

Continuing education: An essential to nursing strategy in primary health care. Nursing Times 77(47):162-3. Nov 1981.

New Horizons in Occupational Safety and Health. In Prevention of Occupational Accidents & Disease , 1983

Succeeding Together: Group Action by Nurses, International Council of Nurses, 1983

Continuing Education: An Essential to Nursing Strategy and Network in Primary Health Care; C ommonwealth Foundation, London, England, 1983

International bodies and prison health care. International Nursing Review 30 (6): 183-5. Nov-Dec 1983.

A National Library Approach “Challenges & Choices”, American Nurses Association, 1984

Professional Associations and Political Action: In Community Health Nursing in Canada, 1985

Regulatory Mechanisms for Basic Nursing Education with Reference to Including Primary Health Care Concepts, WHO, 1985

Changing Roles of Professional Organizations; in Canadian Nursing Faces the Future, 1986

Training of Nurse Teachers and Managers with Special Regard to Primary Health Care; World Health Organization, 1986

Preventable and patterns of disease: Prospects and Research Directions in the Future; in Rece nt Advances in Nursing 22: 147-62. U.K., 1988

Remembering yesterday. RNABC News 21 (3):27. May-June, 1989

*My time at CNA was a wonderful gift. Canadian Nurse 104(9):56. Nov. 2008.

Major Speeches and Lectures

Titles and copies of major speeches, 1963-1981, were donated to Speech File and Archives m The Helen K. Mussallem Library”, CNA House, Ottawa. They have since been transferred to National Archives of Canada, where they are accessible along with other drafts, notes, and texts. (Click on underlined entries to see full text)

Selected presentations:

RNABC Greater Victoria District Conference on Nursing – Address “Design or Dilemma”, 1965

University of B.C. Marion Woodward Lecture, 1969

Alberta Nursing Students Association – Address, 1971

RNAO General Convention – Address “Psychiatric nursing: A changing activity in a changing world”, 1974

Vancouver General Hospital School of Nursing Graduation, 3 May 1974

Vancouver General Hospital School of Nursing Alumnae – Speech, 1974

Kings’ Fund Seminar of Nurses – “Basic education of nursing personnel in Canada”, 1974

*Registered Nurses Association of Ontario 50th Annual Convention, 1975.

University of Ottawa School of Nursing – Address to Graduating Class, 1975

Alberta Association of Registered Nurses Annual Meeting – Address, 1975

Canadian Inuit Nurses Conference – Speech, 1975

National Defence Medical Centre – Address, 1975

Second International Congress of the World Federation of Public Health Associations – Opening Remarks, 1978

Royal Australian Nursing Federation Conference Goals in Nursing Education – Keynote Address “What is nursing?” Melbourne, 1975.

New Brunswick Association of Registered Nurses – Address, 1980

Manitoba Association of Registered Nurses, Annual Meeting, – “Spotlight on Nursing – the Year 2000” May 1980

Canadian Public Health Association – Keynote “Four Horsemen of the Eighties”, 1981

Keynote Speaker, International Nursing Interchange (Project Hope), Millwood, Virginia, USA, 1981

The Four Horsemen of the Eighties: Canadian Public Health Association, 1981

Creative Strategies. Ontario Occupational Health Nurses Annual Meeting, 1981

Nursing Potential for Impact on Family life: Nursing Explorations Series, McGill University, 1981

Tribute to Gordon Henderson, Q.C., Canadian Bar Foundation, 1982

Plenary Speaker at Second World Congress on Prison Health Care, “International Bodies and Prison Health Care”, Ottawa, 1983

International Conference Health for All: 25 Years of the Cuban Experience – “Nursing and Primary Health Care”, 1983

American Nurses Association Convention, New Orleans – “Notes on the Canadian Nurses Association Library: A National Library Approach”. 26 June, 1984.

St. John Ambulance Brigade 470 – Address, 1984

Vancouver General Hospital School of Nursing – Speech to Graduating Class, 1984

Tenth Biennial Institute for Operating Room Nurses – Keynote Address, 1986

National Council of Women – Speech “Volunteerism: Who pays, who cares, who counts – 1988

Volunteerism: Unmeasured Productivity; Who Pays, Who Cares, Who Counts? Canadian Federation of University Women, 1990

Victorian Order of Nurses Annual Meeting, Presidents Message – 1991

Algonquin College, Graduation Schools of Health Sciences and Technology and Trades – Address to Graduates, 12 June, 1993

Annual Meeting of the Association of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland – “The Future role of the association”, 1993

University of B.C. Graduation Ceremony – Congregation Address, 27 May 1994.

Notes for “Kaleidoscope of Leadership”, speech to veteran nurses.

Marion Woodward Lecture, UBC 1969 – Beth McCann and benefactor Marion Woodward with Helen

Helen was the first “MarionWoodward Lecture”, beginning a long tradition of dignitaries and scholars invited annually to present to the UBC and nursing communities.The benefactor, Marion Woodward, is in the middle; on the left is Beth McCann, a much beloved faculty member in the School of Nursing.  (photo courtesy of Sally Thorne, Ph.D., UBC School of Nursing)