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Driven by a passion for nursing that never waivered, Laurie Gottlieb鈥檚 illustrious career in nursing has spanned close to six decades. Last fall, colleagues, friends, family and admirers from across the globe gathered at a hybrid reception hosted by the Ingram School of Nursing (ISoN) at 91社区鈥檚 Thomson House to celebrate her extraordinary legacy and to wish her well as she embarks upon a well-deserved retirement. Speakers included Lynne McVey, ISoN Director and Associate Dean,听Anita Gagnon, former ISoN Director, David Eidelman, former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Patricia Benner, Professor Emerita, Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California at San Francisco, and Pam Hubley, Vice President and Director of Nursing, UHN (United Hospital Network) of Toronto. The event was expertly emceed by ISoN faculty Rosetta Antonacci and Annie Ch茅vrier.
Referring to the evening's honouree as "a giant in the field of nursing", Profs. Gagnon and McVey described a few of Prof. Gottlieb鈥檚 most enduring achievements. Upon completing her master鈥檚 degree in nursing at 91社区, Prof. Gottlieb was recruited to work as a researcher in Canada鈥檚 first research unit in nursing and health care established at 91社区鈥檚 School of Nursing. It was the early 1970s when the nursing profession was exploring ways to expand its role as an independent profession. The first grant obtained in the newly created research unit was to evaluate the different expanded roles. Prof. Gottlieb was tasked with describing and comparing 91社区 鈥榮 novel approach to nursing, referred to at the time as 鈥渟ituation responsive nursing鈥�, a complemental role with medicine, with the more traditional physician -assistant role and the replacement role wherein nurses assumed more medical functions. It was Gottlieb who later renamed 鈥渟ituation responsive nursing鈥� as the 91社区 Model of Nursing to reflect the many generations of 91社区 faculty and graduates who had contributed to the evolution of 91社区鈥檚 novel nursing approach. 鈥淎 brilliant scholar, a prolific researcher, a persuasive and highly effective leader, Laurie Gottlieb met every challenge in her personal and professional life with optimism and tenacity in equal measure,鈥� said Prof. McVey.
As Dr. Eidelman noted, that tenacity was put to the test in 1998 when the Ministry of Health announced a plan to limit access to university nursing programs to students who completed the three-year听 CEGEP diploma in nursing. As Director of the School of Nursing, Gottlieb spearheaded a massive protest along with Quebec's nursing deans, enlisting interdisciplinary, national and international allies to convince the Quebec government that its ill-advised plan not only would shortchange prospective nurses and patients in Quebec, but would also put the province out of synch with the rest of Canada, the U.S. and most of the world. After a sustained national and international letter-writing campaign that was picked up by the media, the plan was eventually dropped.
Patricia Benner expressed admiration for Prof. Gottlieb鈥檚 curiosity, enthusiasm for teaching and learning, leadership and inventiveness. Referring to Strengths-Based Nursing and Healthcare (SBNH), a values-driven approach to care created by Prof. Gottlieb with champions in more than 28 countries, Prof. Benner said, 鈥淧rofessor Gottlieb鈥檚 implementation research and scholarly writings have demonstrated what can be achieved when we and other health care professionals focus on patients鈥� and families鈥� strengths rather than deficits in our coaching and support.鈥�
Friend and colleague Pam Hubley, a champion of SBNH, called Gottlieb 鈥渁 person of abundance鈥� who always made time to get to know her colleagues, often developing deep and abiding friendships based on mutual respect. 鈥淎 global powerhouse in nursing, Laurie made her stellar career look easy and effortless.鈥�
Additional written and video tributes by family, friends and colleagues from Canada and around the world were shared. The program concluded with an announcement that the ISoN鈥檚 bi-annual nursing conference, has been renamed the Laurie Gottlieb Nursing Explorations Conference 鈥� a fitting tribute to an extraordinary leader in the field of nursing.
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