BU researchers receive grants for health studies

Two Brandon University researchers have been awarded $44,000 each over two years to lead studies that address nurse wellness and recovery from sexual violence in rural Manitoba.

The funding, provided through the Manitoba Medical Services Foundation research grant program, will support separate projects by associate professors in health studies Candice Waddell-Henowitch and Kathryn Chachula.

“This marks the first year Brandon University researchers have applied to the MMSF research grant competition, reflecting the university’s growing role in health-focused research with direct benefit to Manitoba communities,” BU said in a news release.

Waddell-Henowitch is leading a study focused on recovery from sexual violence in rural, remote and northern Manitoba. It will connect with service providers and use a photo elicitation approach to document survivors’ experiences, inviting participants to share their photographs and stories.

“Sexual violence is such an important issue, and this funding allows us to explore ways to better serve survivors across Manitoba,” Waddell-Henowitch told the Sun.

“It means the world to me that the Manitoba Medical Services Fund and (MMSF supporter) Blue Cross believe in the work that my team and I are doing.”

The research will help build a foundation for related future studies, including projects on supporting parents who have experienced sexual violence and evaluating educational tools aimed at reducing rape myths and supporting disclosures, she said.

Chachula is leading research on supporting nurse wellness through the Psychological Body Armour course.

The online, 10-module program teaches nurses skills to build resilience, manage stress and recover from potentially traumatic events in their professional lives. A pilot study with nursing students showed dramatic improvements in resilience and reductions in depression, anxiety, stress and PTSD symptoms.

“Access to mental-health supports varies across Manitoba, especially for nurses in rural and remote areas,” Chachula said. “This funding allows us to support nurses who might be suffering in silence and to help ensure younger nurses remain in the profession. We want nurses to not just survive their shifts, but to thrive.”

The course is flexible and self-paced over 12 weeks, covering personal strength, stress management and proactive resilience skills, she said.

Chachula said if the study confirms its effectiveness, the course could become a valuable resource across Manitoba’s health-care system. Interested nurses can contact research assistant Caroline Mullins at MullinsC@BrandonU.ca or complete the enrolment form online.

The grant funding recognizes the strength of BU’s research and its direct relevance to real-world challenges, university vice-president for research and graduate studies Bernadette Ardelli said.

“Both projects demonstrate how BU researchers are working alongside communities to generate knowledge that leads to tangible, positive change,” Ardelli said.

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