Brandi Vanderspank-Wright is an associate professor at the School of Nursing. She is also an affiliate investigator at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, president of the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses and former chief editor of the Canadian Journal of Critical Care Nursing. Her clinical practice experience includes adult critical care and end-of-life care in both critical care and residential hospice settings. She maintains certification in adult critical care through the Canadian Nurses’ Association certification program.
Professor Vanderspank-Wright’s doctoral research examined the development of critical care nursing in Canada over more than 40 years. Her current research focuses on the experiences of clinicians (particularly nurses) as they navigate complex health care situations inherent to the critical care environment. This includes an emphasis on supporting nurses, particularly newly graduated nurses, as they transition into critical care practice.
Professor Vanderspank-Wright is particularly interested in the quality of end-of-life care in the critical care environment and a nuanced understanding of end-of-life care experiences of clinicians and family members in the context of withdrawal and withholding of life-sustaining measures.
Professor Vanderspank-Wright is accepting new students for thesis supervision.