Donna Wilson is a Registered Nurse, who started nursing at a hospital school, and then obtained a BSN degree (1981), a MSN degree majoring in gerontology and healthcare management (1985), and a Doctor of Philosophy degree majoring in management, teaching, and research (1993). A consistent honor’s student; she was awarded lifetime memberships in the Phi Kappa Phi International Honor Society and the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society. Donna has worked as a staff nurse, nursing supervisor, senior hospital administrator, media commentator, educator, researcher, and professor in Alberta, British Columbia, New Zealand, and Texas, as well as unpaid positions in Ireland, Belgium, and England. She has been politically active for much of her career. Donna’s program of research focuses on health services and health policy, primarily in relation to aging, ageism, and end-of-life care, including bereavement. Much of her work is oriented to myth busting, with the aim of eliminating ageism and ensuring effective and accessible healthcare services for older and also younger people. Her investigations often involve population data and mixed-methods research for both qualitative and quantitative understandings. She has over 400 published articles, books, book chapters, and other peer-reviewed communications in print. She is frequently and widely consulted for expert commentary on aging, end-of-life care, bereavement, health policy, healthcare services, and health system trends and issues.
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