September 12, 1996
Dr. F. Moyra Allen, Professor Emeritus in the School of Nursing, died peacefully in Ottawa on May 2, 1996. Following a brief period at Wayne State University, she joined the faculty at McGill's School of Nursing in 1954. Dr. Allen's career was characterized by the creation of innovative programs and approaches in nursing education.
She was known worldwide for the development of criteria for evaluating programs under the aegis of the World Health Organization. In Canada, her most seminal work was the establishment of criteria for accreditation of baccalaureate programs in nursing.
These standards captured the uniqueness of her approach as they reflect the interdependency of practice, research and education. She was the driving force behind the creation of the School's Generic Master's program, the only one of its kind in Canada. During the 1970s she broke ground in research and theory development in nursing.
As she believed her ideas needed to be subjected to rigorous testing in practice, she developed a service which focused on the health of families. This service was called the Workshop and became known for its experimental model of care. Moreover, she was instrumental in launching a nursing research journal known as Nursing Papers.
Dr. Allen made gigantic contributions to nursing education, research and practice during her lifetime. In recognition of her accomplishments, she was honoured on numerous occasions by colleagues and professional bodies. McMaster University and l'Université de Montréal conferred on her honorary doctorate degrees. L'ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec recognized her many achievements in nursing when she was accorded L'Insigne du mérite. Her distinguished career was acknowledged with the Order of Canada award. A memorial service was held in the University Chapel at McGill on May 21, 1996.
Margaret Hooton
Associate professor
School of Nursing